Bob Books, Set 1: Beginning Readers
by Bobby Lynn Maslen
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Book Summary Information
Author: Bobby Lynn MaslenBrand: Scholastic
Illustrator: John R. Maslen
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Format: Box set
Published: 2006-05-01
ISBN: 0439845009
Number of pages: 16
Publisher: Scholastic
Book Reviews of Bob Books, Set 1: Beginning Readers
Book Review: Dd still calls them "BAD books", but with a smile: they really WORK!
Summary: 4 Stars
I think what my daughter hated initially was needing to use readers instead of just being able to pick up any old book and read fluently, like her big siblings.
When she was 5 and showing no signs of beginning reading, but had good letter awareness, I bought this set of Bob Books. I disliked the pictures, which are terrible, and thought the stories were dumb. She hated sitting down to read and resisted the first few times.
Regular practice seems to have brought both of us around, and now that we are moving on to Set 3, and adding other, sight-based reading to our repertoire, she still says "BAD Books", but with a smile.
The stories DO get better, but they start out VERY basic. "OK, cat. OK, dog." That kind of thing. The pictures start out dumb and don't get much better.
Unlike other reading systems (like "Brand New Readers" and other whole-word based readers), the pictures are not much of a giveaway for the text, and the text isn't overly repetitious. That can be a plus, because you know the child is actually decoding syllables, not just guessing. The minus is you have to pay attention so you'll know if they're reading it right.
About halfway through the second set, when she was very comfortable with the style and pace of the phonics, I began supplementing her reading with a reprinted edition of Dick & Jane stories, which are sight-based. Now, our short reading sessions consist of two Bob Books (one old, to review, and one new), along with one or two simple Dick & Jane stories.
This seems to be the perfect combination, letting her decode SMALL words systematically through the BOB Books while enjoying the high-quality colour pictures and fancy big words of the Dick & Jane stories.
If I had to do it again, I would still use the Bob books, despite my initial reservations at seeing the first few books in this blue series.
And, in fact, I DO have it to do again, because my 3-year-old is showing early signs of readiness. And I really believe in the value of phonics-based instruction, at least for the very earliest readers.
"Decoding" may be tedious, but done right, kids LOVE it! (WE wouldn't love it, because our brains are at a different stage... but it's okay to treat kids like kids and teach them on their level)
What I'm doing differently this time, with my son, is laying the phonic groundwork earlier so that the transition into reading the first books is not such a shock. Instead of emphasizing simple letter recognition, we are working on letter SOUNDS, and I am pointing out letters by their sound, rather than name, which can be confusing.
For instance, the letter "C" says "k" in early phonic-based readers. So when we see one, I point to it and say "k" and we talk about the "k" sound rather than emphasizing that it's called a "see." Same with the letter "jee" - I try to say a hard "g" sound when we see one, and point it out in words like "dog" and "give."
DK actually makes a very cute book called "My first Phonics Board Book," which I'd recommend for teaching pre-readers and their parents how to systematically lay the groundwork for reading with phonics.
I didn't do this with my daughter, so she still makes occasional mistakes like saying "s" for a "C". Nevertheless, I am thrilled with the progress she's made with Bob Books.
Summary of Bob Books, Set 1: Beginning Readers
Teach a child letter sounds with Bob Books Set 1! With four letters in the first story, children can read a whole book. Consistent new sounds are added gradually, until young readers have read books with all letters of the alphabet (except Q). Short vowels and three-letter words in simple sentences make Bob Books Set 1 a fun confidence builder. With little books, come big success. (TM)Literature Books
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