#3 is ending his kindergarten career in a couple weeks. He is beginning to decode words, however, he has a hard time finding books at his reading level. He needs VERY EASY books that are phonetic. Emphasis on the VERY EASY!
So often I find Level 1 reading books at the library like this:
Score! This is going to be great! High interest in this house! Motivation will not be a problem. Then my beginning reader tries to decode the words and the pages are like this:
Frustrating! This book is called 3rd grade reading in our house! Soldier? Capture? This is not for a beginning reader…especially a dyslexic one! Sure they could look at the pictures and figure out something about the Death Star, but we want them reading….not guessing.
When #2 was in second grade I discovered Bob books.
They are short, phonetic, with controlled text, and the different levels move through phonetic skills sequentially.
With coaching, even severely dyslexic readers can find success with these books when they are just entering the world of reading. #3 can read a couple of these books independently now, which grows his confidence and encourages him to read more. This creates a positive reinforcement loop with reading.
If others have suggestions for great books for children to practice beginning reading skills with, please post them in the comments so we can learn from you. I know I’m always looking for new suggestions! (There is really only so much of Cat and Sam and Mat sitting on each other that I can take.) And remember…emphasis on VERY EASY!
Running With Flashcards 