mathmarm Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 Which Readers did your kids like most and why? DK ReadersScholastic Readers Ready to Read Hello Reading Hello Reader Step Into Reading All Aboard Reading Blue Bananas I Can Read Now I'm Reading Bob Books The ones that I've looked at are from the publishers listed above. I'd like to gift a "starter library" to my 4yo niece who is in school and only now beginning to read. I'm not sure which series to go with. Ideally, I would continue to gift books from that same series/publisher for as long as she's in this stage of reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Btervet Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 We really like the Step into Reading, All Aboard Reading, and I Can Read series. Biscuit books and Frog and Toad have been the biggest hits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 It has had less to do with the publisher and more to do with the content of the readers for us. We have loved Sonlight's reading collections for grades 1, 2, & 3 as they have a good mix of content. We have also liked the Stepping Stones Step into Classics series once those early readers were going well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 I find the question odd, to be honest. Those are imprints that each contain massively different topics, authors, illustrators, and genres for their books. None of them are controlled reader sets or anything like that, which build on each other. They're just books. This is like going up to an adult and saying, "Hey, which publisher is your favorite? I really only read books published by Penguin and Arthur Viking." Who says that? They talk about authors mostly. There is some publisher/imprint loyalty in genre fiction - romance and scifi, for example - but even that is rare. If I was buying lots of books for a new reader who really didn't have any books, I would buy: * Bears in the Night (or another early Berenstein title) * The Cat in the Hat * One, Fish, Two Fish * a couple of Elephant and Piggies * Because a Little Bug Went Kachoo * Go Dog Go * an Amelia Bedelia * a Henry and Mudge * a Poppleton * a George and Martha * a Dodsworth * a couple of either DK or National Geographic nonfiction titles * a Fly Guy * a Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa * a Frog and Toad * a Little Beat Other than the nonfiction suggestion, I have no idea which publisher published those - I only know they're great easy readers. Of course, some of this depends on the goal of the gift. If you want to give the easiest of books to encourage the first reading steps, I'd suggest a different list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathmarm Posted October 26, 2014 Author Share Posted October 26, 2014 I find the question odd, to be honest. Those are imprints that each contain massively different topics, authors, illustrators, and genres for their books. None of them are controlled reader sets or anything like that, which build on each other. Well, because they were leveled and all part of a larger series, I thought that they were controlled readers that built on one another. That explains why I was having such a hard time puzzling out the sequence within the books though They're just books. This is like going up to an adult and saying, "Hey, which publisher is your favorite? I really only read books published by Penguin and Arthur Viking." Who says that? They talk about authors mostly. There is some publisher/imprint loyalty in genre fiction - romance and scifi, for example - but even that is rare. If I was buying lots of books for a new reader who really didn't have any books, I would buy: * Bears in the Night (or another early Berenstein title) * The Cat in the Hat * One, Fish, Two Fish * a couple of Elephant and Piggies * Because a Little Bug Went Kachoo * Go Dog Go * an Amelia Bedelia * a Henry and Mudge * a Poppleton * a George and Martha * a Dodsworth * a couple of either DK or National Geographic nonfiction titles * a Fly Guy * a Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa * a Frog and Toad * a Little Beat Other than the nonfiction suggestion, I have no idea which publisher published those - I only know they're great easy readers. Of course, some of this depends on the goal of the gift. If you want to give the easiest of books to encourage the first reading steps, I'd suggest a different list. The goal of this gift is to encourage reading at the basic level. I'm trying to find a series of books that are sequential/progressive and build on themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 I'm trying to find a series of books that are sequential/progressive and build on themselves. If that's the case, then of your list, only the BOB books and the next to last one, which I think is maybe the Nora Gaydos one, fits the bill. The rest are just publisher imprints for different easy readers. I like the Nora Gaydos better, but we had the BOB ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusyMom5 Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 I Can Read books, based on her likes would probably be a good choice. My boys really love a series I think called Blast Off, which is all different kinds of animals/trucks/ect., in easy readers. They also like some Stone Arch readers. Usborne has a combined volume of phonics readers, the name escapes me, maybe Ted and Friends? Sadly, none of my kids so far have liked the one set of Bob Books I have, I don't think they really like the truly simple readers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 The Primary Phonics sets sold by Memoria Press would be another set to consider then too, or the I See Sam readers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 For progressive readers, we liked the Bob Books. DD found them fun and silly, and each book tended to introduce 1-2 new rules and include words that used the previously introduced rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 I'd look at the list of books Sonlight uses for readers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mswin15 Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 We love Reading-Literature series by Harriet Taylor Treadwell. It starts with primer and goes up to level 3 or 4 perhaps? Maybe a little out of reach for most 4 year olds but she would grow to enjoy them so much as she gets older. The stories and poems are fantastic. They are on amazon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 My younger boy who likes non-fiction likes the National Geographic readers at that age. http://www.ngchildrensbooks.org/c/product.web?record@R1641 For fiction he read all the Thomas the Tank Engine and Lego readers. The girls at Barnes & Noble were reading Angelina Ballerina readers. E.g. http://www.penguin.com/read/series/angelina-ballerina/316 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Nora Gaydos books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest siqctprysyby Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Biscuit books and Frog and Toad have been the biggest hits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SporkUK Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Our favourite is the piper books BRI-ARI system (a UK company, a similar looking US one can be found at ISeeSam, I know I've seen the first set scanned free online) which goes from very basic readers sequentially sound by sound, phoneme by phoneme, into the advanced readers. The BRI (Beginning Reading Instruction) books also have questions in the back for comprehension as well which was a big plus for us, and for the A(dvanced)RI books which have multiple stories per book, I just have them narrate what happened and then ask them to imagine how a certain character felt throughout the story. My older two read one of their phonics stories outloud to one of us a day (my third is eager to begin next spring) as well as their own books. While I agree that having a favourite reader seems a bit odd and restrictive, I have found having one set of progressive readers has really helped my kids reading skills, phonics memory, and speaking skills and the many other books can be used alongside. My eldest, who is ten and has read The Hobbit, is nearing the end of the programme and still gaining things from it I think. For him, these books really boosted his reading confidence in the early days after trying quite a few others (and having dealt with a very bad speech therapist and groups that smashed his self confidence). I've found them great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plink Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 There is an enormous difference between leveled readers and phonetically controlled books. I wrote about the difference recently. http://www.libertyhillhouse.com/2014/10/25/do-you-know-how-to-find-the-right-books-for-your-dyslexic-child/. If you scroll to the bottom there is a list of my favorite readers. As Fararr said, Of your list, Bob is the only one I'd choose for beginning readers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Our favourite is the piper books BRI-ARI system (a UK company, a similar looking US one can be found at ISeeSam, THESE. These are great as they start out slowly and build up in a very systematic manner. They will take her from learning her first words to reading at an end of 3rd grade or higher reading level. The books are fun and many 4 year olds can start them slowly and just read them at their own pace. Make sure to read the "how to use them" stuff on the websites for most benefit. Basically you just introduce the new sound and they blend the new word(s) and they are off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Primary Phonics Reader set by EPS Books. 80 little books. {you can have mine, if you pm me. :)} Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 I can't remember the name - but the ones Sonlight sells were awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Biscuit books and Frog and Toad have been the biggest hits. We love Frog and Toad!! But seriously... what genius came up with "Biscuit" as a name for an early reader dog? It's hysterical. Was Pterodactyl already used? "Biscuit". Why not "Lobby" or "Max" or "Match" or something useful to an early reader? LOL!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 I found Step Into Reading the most consistent and generally enjoyed their books the most at the youngest level. I Can Read 1 is not the same as Step Into Reading 1 and so on. After a little more experience, Biscuit books, which are I Can Read, where a big hit. Fly Guy is a good series too. As well as Elephant and Piggie (there's Cat the Cat too). In addition to some of the Step Into Reading books, I would get a few of each of the ones mentioned above. The problem with books like Frog and Toad and Henry and Mudge, which are not beginning, beginning readers anyway are that they are sooooooooooooooooo long. Not good for independent reading, unless the child is highly motivated. http://www.arbookfind.com/ can help you find the easiest books of each series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachelpants Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 I See Sam!!! All 8 sets! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathmarm Posted October 28, 2014 Author Share Posted October 28, 2014 For Phonics/sequence readers we ordered some Open Court decodables from Amazon. When she is a stronger reader, we'll look into some of the other options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gentlemommy Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Both of my kids used the Pathway readers. They are made by a Christian company, so if that is an issue...otherwise, they are sweet, old fashioned, and the kids have both loved them. They build up very gently from just a few words to chapters. I like that they were easy enough to start with, but got the kids reading an actual book while they were still covering phonics. we have tried a whole bunch of different sets, and those were always the favorites. The ones we have I bought used, so I don't know how much they are new...they are hardback, cloth covered, very 'classic feeling' books. I've noticed they were recieved and cared for differently than the paper back I Can Read type books, or even the boxed Bob books set. There are pictures, more so in the first couple books, but they are black and white pencil illustrations, so they are not distracting. We love them, and I especially love that they can be passed down through my kids! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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