Sunday, September 22, 2013

Bob Books for Young Readers {Giveaway - Ends 10/3}


I received complimentary product for review purposes. All opinions are 100% my own.

If you have young children, you may be familiar with Bob Books. This award-winning reading program is the perfect start for emergent readers as they take their first steps towards confident reading.

Just three weeks ago we officially started our homeschool. But months ago we began teaching Buddy to read using Teaching Your Child To Read in 100 Lessons and we're about half way through right now. Buddy is thriving and already reading short sentences, but I realized that I didn't have appropriate books that could go hand-in-hand with the very early reading level he's currently at. I immediately did some researching which led me to Bob Books.

Upon contacting Bob Books, they graciously offered to let me review two of their book sets, Set 1 - Beginning Readers, and Rhyming Words. I was STOKED to say the least, and so was Buddy when I told him that these books were just for him.

Set 1 - Beginning Readers is the most popular set of Bob Books available. This set includes 12 books and introduces short vowels, each written in three-letter words and in short sentences. Each book is numbered which corresponds with the gradual progression of difficulty with each book as your child learns to master one at a time. 

The beginning of each of these books has a page that introduces the new sounds that your child will encounter. For example, in book 1 the letters m, a, t and s are introduced. It's a quick way for parents to see if their child is ready to move on to the next book, and to help their child with visual cues for these sounds like M is for moon, A is for apple etc. By the end of this set, readers will have read words utilizing all letters of the alphabet, except for Q.

Set 1 is appropriate for emergent readers that are just starting out. If your child already knows the alphabet, this is the set you'll want to start with. Set 1 has proven to be a wonderful first stepping stone for Buddy as he learns to read on his own.

Rhyming Words is perfect for moving on from Set 1 - Beginning Readers as it introduces the concept of rhyming and learning how to change the first letter of words that have the same ending. This set includes 10 books with consistent vowel sounds and short sentences, and also 40 rhyming word puzzle cards for some fun practice. The last page of these books describe the word family that the book is using, and also other words the book uses. Just like with the Set 1 books, this is a quick way for me to see if the book will possibly be too tough or frustrating for Buddy, or decide that he's ready to try it.

The Rhyming Words books are a little intimidating for Buddy so far (he's not quite there yet), but he's attempted the first couple books with lots of help and encouragement. I expect to use them a bit more in the coming months as we continue on our reading journey, and finish up with Set 1 first.

Buddy seems to be excelling with his reading ability so far, and read the first book in Set 1 all the way through on his first try! The approach of Bob books encourages children to sound out words, and not just memorize sight words right off the bat. Buddy has a firm foundation of understanding how to sound out words properly, and I was so excited to see this in action. He now tells me he's going to read his Bob Books, and he just does it! Even though that only means the first 3 books totally on his own so far, the small amount of independence and accomplishment he feels once he's read a few Bob Books is absolutely fantastic. I think this mama is a bit sad her son is growing up so fast, but to see the light bulbs go off left and right like this is just magical!

These books are small for little hands, and the illustrations are simple and witty. I love being able to see that Buddy is comprehending the short sentences he's reading - his laughs are a dead give away! He's not only learning to read, but he's also having fun at the same time. Bob Books not only foster a love of learning, but also help lay the foundational skills of literacy that will lead the way to a bright future ahead. So far I'm very impressed with Bob Books and I expect to continue to see more great results as we build on our collection and continue reading through the rest of the books from the sets we have. Supplementing with Bob Books is a must-do for early readers to get them reading with confidence and excitement. As Buddy's first real books that he can read to me on his own without frustration and with plenty of fun? Absolutely priceless.

Bob Books boxed sets are wonderful gifts, and are perfect for containing these little books. It's just three months away...can you say perfect Christmas gift?! Kiddos love these books and I love the consistency I see throughout the stories and illustrations. There are plenty of other Bob Books sets available, depending on your child's current reading ability. Be sure to use the bookfinder quiz to find what set is right for your child.

Price: Set 1 - Beginning Readers & Rhyming Words - $16.99 RV each
 
Buy It: Check out BobBooks.com to shop now!
 
Win It!
One winner will receive the same two sets I received - Set 1, and Rhyming Words!

Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter!

21 comments:

Jennifer Young said...

I have an almost 4 year old that can sound out short vowel words and an almost 6 year old that reads at a 3rd-4th grade reading level.

Joanna said...

I've got a 2 year old that can recognize all his letters and knows some sounds, but isn't "reading" yet- we need more basic books like this when we get started learning!

kellythom747 said...

my daughter is singing the song and touching the new word as she sings the song

nannabear2010 said...

My son is five and sounding out letters to make words.

d schmidt said...

My son is currently trying to understand the concept of letters on a page

Bethany said...

My daughters are at the listening and watching my finger glide across the page stage. Thanks for the giveaway! We'd love to have a set of these!
bethanyg153 at gmail dot com

Mami2jcn said...

My daughter is learning the alphabet.

Name on rafflecopter: Mary Happymommy

aperry said...

my son is working on short words... the, are, on

Deana said...

My son can sound out basic CVC words and knows a few sight words.

Nancy said...

I'm collecting books for future grandchildren!

Nancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

Eliza Ferree said...

my son is learning words like up, man, cat right now and loving that he can sound them out and recognize certain sight words. I'm looking for any way to encourage this. homemom3@gmail.com

Chelsea said...

My preschoolers are just starting to work on letter sounds :)

Unknown said...

Pediatrician just recommended these for our 4 1/2 year old.

Migennes said...

We love the Bob books. My son is on set four, my daughter just started set three, and my other daughter in doing "pre-reading". The only set we don't have is the Rhyming set. If I were to win I would pass the Set 1 to one of my friends who is getting ready to start.

ababe28 said...

My grandson is 4 and doing wery well

Ann B.

Pickled Pandas said...

My oldest is currently a beginner reader, using AAR-1, and my second oldest is about to begin AAR-P.

Ruby said...

My daughter is reading alphabets

Jill said...

my child is just learning site words...grade k

Carmen Van Deursen said...

My son is in kindergarden and is at the early stage of reading.

Heather R said...

My son is a beginner and my 6 year old daughter is reading 2-3 grades above her reading level

thransom@gmail.com

jennifer NL said...

my son is starting to understand the concept of letters on a page, and when mommy reads books to him, i am reading those words.