Engaging Books for New Readers: Building Confidence and Learning Sight Words

These books use a debunked method of teaching kids to read by having them search for context clues (like looking at the photo), encouraging guessing, and relying on memorizing words rather than learning to sound them out (phonics). This method may seem like it is working at first because kids learn how to guess words and have pictures to rely on. But eventually books get longer and harder and there are no context clues to rely on and you end up in the situation we are in now where 68% of US fourth graders read below the standard. Listen to the Sold a Story podcast and get yourself some BOB Books. I am so glad I did more research before trying to teach my child, who is now reading at 4 years old thanks to BOB Books.

These are the worst beginning books I’ve ever seen and I bought them for two different grandkids. They aren’t written using common sight words or easy phonics like I expected. My grandkids just memorize them and call it reading. I’m sorry I purchased them once never mind twice. Useless.

These books are engaging and build confidence in new readers! My granddaughter who has just turned 4 enjoys reading several of these a day and has memorized some of them which is helping her learn her "sight words" by picture association! Highly recommend!

I would (and have) recommend to every parent I know who’s kid is starting kindergarten or TK. Helps to learn site words and reading! My 5yo daughter loves that she can read books to me now

I bought these for a two year old who loves books and is ready for pre reading, but not able to write. Most pre-reading kits include writing.

She has a lot of books but these are favorites. She can hold them and has a couple memorized. Red! Red! Red.

These books are ok for beginning readers; they are short and good for extra practice, but they are not supportive of or geared toward structured phonics lessons that focus on particular sounds and phonemic awareness.