Animal Phonics Readers: 24 Easy Nonfiction Books That Teach Key Phonics Skills

A little something(s) to read together while your child is learning to read independently. These would be perfect to introduce the various sounds (starting with short vowel sounds) to not only reinforce the sound in context, but to practice blending. You might read the text the first time through, then read with your child, letting him read all of the bolded words he can decode plus any remembered sight words. Books are short (8 pages each), small format (about 5.5 square) and illustrated with photographic images. Each book practices a specific sound: six short vowels (a, e, i, o, u, review), six long vowels (a, e, i, o, u, review), three vowel digraphs (ai, ee, oo), six blends (cr, gr, pr, sl, sn, sp), and three digraphs (ch, sh, wh). Vocabulary is (thankfully) controlled (unlike many readers), so your child can actually read these himself with little help. A bonus Activity Book contains a page per reader featuring the animal from each (bat for short a, etc.) with simple exercises and a space to draw the animal. Also included in the box are a short parent guide and a set of 16 stickers. A good value for sound learning.