Yes, first and last para and pictures are good ideas. So also "first line of each para" and "If you see a string of characters at the start of a sentence which seem illogical it is probably a transliteration of a name and thus the subject of the sentence". Transliterations often block comprehension. I have yet to find a graded reader I like. I never wrote a graded reader of Chinese, instead focusing on poetic translations and character acquisition. These are my books, you or yours might like them. I hope many students enrol in your course, your methods seem entirely correct. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L87R87J
How to get better at reading Chinese language news
Yes, first and last para and pictures are good ideas. So also "first line of each para" and "If you see a string of characters at the start of a sentence which seem illogical it is probably a transliteration of a name and thus the subject of the sentence". Transliterations often block comprehension. I have yet to find a graded reader I like. I never wrote a graded reader of Chinese, instead focusing on poetic translations and character acquisition. These are my books, you or yours might like them. I hope many students enrol in your course, your methods seem entirely correct. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L87R87J