Bob Books, Set 1: Beginning Readers
by Bobby Lynn Maslen
|
List Price: Our Price: $11.08 You Save: $5.91 (35%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $5.51 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Bob Books, Set 1: Beginning Readers
Book Review: great set
Summary: 5 Stars
I think these books are great. While some complain that they are simple, both visually as well as on an interest level, I think that is where the beauty lies. The pictures are not the point of the story, the words are. The pictures are therefore simple, and not terribly distracting, yet there are enough clues to make it more than just boring words. The stories themselves are also simple, partly because young kids have a hard time grasping complex stories when they're just learning to read, but also partly because there are only so many words that can be created with a limited amount of sounds. I really liked how the first set slowly introduces sounds. My boys knew all of their sounds before beginning the books, but to make them into words was new, so it was still helpful to have a gentle introduction to each. My four year-old is done with the 4th set, and my 3 year old is nearly done with the third set. We're looking forward to moving on to stories that are more interesting to them, but we will complete the series regardless because I really like how they introduce sets of sounds and focus on something new in each book. Good luck to all!Book Review: Confidence builder!
Summary: 5 Stars
My son received Set 1 as a fourth birthday gift from my cousin, and exactly as the description says, these books gave my son the "aha" moment of decoding words for the first time. He has been reading them for three days now and has already worked through the third book. I am not pushing him at all- just encouraging him and exposing him to them for as much as he is willing each day. He is so proud of himself! The look of excitement on his face when he reads something more difficult than what he did just before is priceless. The simplicity of these books is what makes the reading accessible to him. I recommend coupling these books with pointing out the same words in other locations. For example, after my son read the second book, I started pointing out "CAT" and "SAT" in other books, on signs, and in other locations. That brought another "aha" moment, as he realized that he could connect what he learned in the BOB books to words in other locations.
I think it is important not to overteach when using these books, or a child will miss making the discovery of phonetic connections on his/her own and move straight onto sight reading.
Book Review: Simple is Better
Summary: 5 Stars
I am an educator. I could probably write books like these and illustrate them as well after seeing them over and over, BUT THEY WORK. For the money -you can't ask for better. IN CONJUNCTION with all the other tools one can use, these are one of the great helps in jumpstarting reading for your young one. My 4 year old son is already reading at a first grade level after using these books. The reason for his success with them is 1) I sit with him, helping him sound out the letters 2)Small rewards are given for each book read, and Big rewards for each Set completed 3) The books are QUICK reads(10 pages or so) making a kid feel successful right away. 4) The drawings give contextual clues, without showing other distracting elements as you find in other books -it shows only what NEEDS to be shown 5) The plots are silly -but enjoyable by little kids especially if you laugh with them. "Mat Sat on on the Cat" ha ha! Also recommended would be the Leapster L-Max and the game "Letters on the Loose" -BEFORE reading begins, children need to really know their letters and the sounds they make or they will be quite frustrated with the process.Book Review: Great for BEGINNING readers!
Summary: 5 Stars
My 4-year old & I LOVE these books. They introduce sounds very slowly, and while you're not exactly introducing your child to great literature, you are building their confidence -- they can quickly read the ENTIRE book on their own without asking an adult for a single word.
Some are put off by the "handwriting style" used in the book, but I rather like that the kids can relate these letters to those they would write themselves in kindergarten. They are going to need to recognize both handwriting & type, anyway, so it's certainly not a waste to introduce them to it now.
I'm using these books to help prepare my daughter for kindergarten, but I don't know that I'd use them - at least not this particular set - for someone who is already being taught to read in school. I chose them because they're the absolute simplest I've seen -- we haven't run into any blends, and I think Book 8 is the first we've seen with more than 3 letters in a word. I taught my older daughter to read with the easiest Dr. Seuss books, but she was over 4 1/2 when we started and better able to handle the length of those books.
Book Review: The Best Books for Beginners!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an excellent series for children who are first learning how to read. These small square books are 16 pages each, lightweight and nicely sized for little hands to hold. The hand-drawn illustrations are so cute! Most of the words are only three letters long which makes them very easy for kids to read. Yet even with such a simple text, the stories are unique and entertaining. These books aren't meant to be read to your child, but to have your child read to you. I really enjoy having my son read them to me. We used Bob Books in conjunction with the Alpha-Phonics program (Alpha-Phonics: A Primer for Beginning Readers), and my son was able to read the first two Bob Books all by himself after just finishing his second lesson in Alpha-Phonics. This was great because it helped him to build confidence in his new skill right away!
~Teri Ann Berg Olsen, author of Learning for Life: Educational Words of Wisdom