I think I started reading somewhere during Course 2. To start with it was only very simple toddler books. A lot of kid’s picture books have quite complicated (for a beginner) language. I remember barely understanding a word of Sam Tan. One of the things that initially put me off was that letters don’t make the same sounds as in English. So I could be looking at a word I knew, but not recognise it. But I didn’t stress about it. I took a similar approach to learning to read and went over and over my simple texts, slowly building up to more complex ones. I love that I can revisit a book that I have read and understand more of the story than I did the last time.
The first book I was able to read was a toddler book called ‘pwdin siocled’ and has two or three simple sentences per page and a big picture in between. But I still had to look words up. I was so pleased that I understood most of it!! 
I love Blodwen Jones too!
You could try setting up e-mail pen-pals with other people here whon are at the same level of learning Welsh. Then you can take it in turns writing and reading!
So if there’s any absolute beginners that want to practice let me know!
I can’t promise that I have lots of spare time for it, and I especially can’t promise that I’m able to read or write Welsh sensibly, but I’m about the level of reading e-ffrindiau, and if you pop your email address in a PM to me I’ll give writing a couple of mails every now and then a go.
Ah thanks. I might hassle you about it on Mon
Jenny
Not sure if I’ll be there, but you know where to find me here if I’m not 
+1 for “Blodwen Jones” (or any of the “Nofelau Nawr” series really).
I don’t think I started reading until well into Course 2. I found it quite difficult at first, but it did become easier after a while.
I might try again after Level 2 then Will be remembering this thread for suggestions!
Thanks to everyone for the suggestions
I didn’t start proper reading at all yet despite I’m in the middle of Course 3 already. Even longer clecs or twitter thingys make difficulty to me so I’m hesitating about it. I tried ReadLang but started with Italian rather then Cymraeg.
Well, you see, as much as some of you rea “afraid” to speak, so much I’m “afraid” to read. (meh, I can’t speak also anyway … )
I have the benefit of free access to books aimed from 0 years old up, so that’s a motivator! I also message Tom a lot via text so it’s handy to be able to write, and I think once you can physically form the letters writing becomes just a side effect of reading! I struggle sometimes not recognising words, but sounding them out out loud and realising that I do actually know them, so the more I do that the more natural I hope it will get…
I agree. I started with e-ffrindiau and found the gradual increase in difficulty and length reassuring. The topics covered are useful too as they introduce exactly the sorts of everyday things I might want to talk about with people. I am now half way through Sgwp and enjoying that. I have also read Cant Y Cant which is good for dipping into and gives a good variety of useful factual information, Moving north, Blodwen Jones is as mad as a box of frogs, but no less enjoyable and it is quite good fun trying to say the southern Welsh in your head instead of always translating into English. Lingo Newydd is always worth reading.
I may be out on a limb here, but can you access the original Ladybird reading series?
In a TV programme about Ladybird, they mentioned that ‘Janet and John’ were based on teaching 12 words and working up, and were translated into Welsh, so were available once!!!
Personally, I’m afraid I learned grammar and the alphabet first and was trying classic poetry and the Mabinogian, but had never seen ordinary books 'til much later!! 
That’s why I need SSiW now!!! 
edit: Sorry ‘Peter & Jane’, not ‘Janet & John’!! Also, they seem to be totally out of print and selling (some of them) for £19+ on e-bay!!! 
I can ask, Tom’s mam basically hasn’t thrown away any of his or his sister’s books from when they were tiny so it’s just a matter of digging through the boxes!
Lwc dda!! I suspect the ladybirds were old fashioned way before that! Most came out in the late 40’s and early 50’s!! I only had the English ones printed during the war… they were all my Mam could get!!! I got some bird and history ones myself, but not simple readers, because I could read by then!!!
Maybe a better shout would be to check at his grandparent’s house then They’re all encouraging me to learn Welsh so I’m sure they wouldn’t mind lending me things.
Ladybirds are still going actually, at least in English. We were buying them for our kids in the 1980s, and they had been modernised (well, using styles of dress from the 70s). Not sure what they are like now, but I’m pretty sure you can still buy them new.
After reading this, I looked on Amazon’s site. The only one in Cymraeg listed was Number 9 of the Key Words series, and not available!! However, searching under books for ‘plant Cymraeg’ gave me a long list!! I haven’t ordered any, but clearly I could!! There was one with English and Welsh which could be useful as a starter! (I think I found that by searching for ‘Welsh’ under children’s books, but I’m not sure!!)
I edited above to say I’d checked on Google and no books in Cymraeg seem to be printed by Ladybird now. On e-bay, sone are offered for £19+ which is a bit much for actual use rather than avid collection!!
(hint to @RachelH If you find any, after using them, you might be able to sell them & put huge profit into family coffers!!!) 
On the subject of ladybirds, got these from a free recycling book charity the other day-
These were printed between '69 and '72.
Ladybird books like this seem to be common enough that I see them pretty regularly in second hand bookshops.
And on the subject of prices of Ladybird books in Welsh, when I see them in second hand book shops or charity shops, they seem to be going for a pound or two at most.