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Rating: 
Summary: The next step after beginning reading programs
Review: I used this book with my daughter when she was 5. We had tried a variety of approaches when she expressed a desire to read. She learned enough phonics and sight words to read some very basic readers but balked at continuing with workbooks, no matter how colorful and fun they were supposed to be. This book enabled us to move to the next level. Although I would be leery of using this book to teach reading from scratch, it is great for those children who think they don't need reading instruction any more. You are able to introduce new concepts painlessly while reading regular books. You use one book for several days and create your lesson based on the words that the child has a problem with in the first reading. The section at the back of the book was especially useful for me because it gives an example of how an average lesson using this system would work. Theory is fine, but it can get jumbled in my brain if I don't know how to put it into practice! Other reviewers on this site have covered this book in much more detail, and you should check their reviews as well. This is more of a testimonial that the method is helpful. Mr. Thogmartin's book and a set of magnetic letters will get your child past the "hat-cat-sat" stage with a minimum of fuss.
Rating:
Summary: The next step after beginning reading programs
Review: I used this book with my daughter when she was 5. We had tried a variety of approaches when she expressed a desire to read. She learned enough phonics and sight words to read some very basic readers but balked at continuing with workbooks, no matter how colorful and fun they were supposed to be. This book enabled us to move to the next level. Although I would be leery of using this book to teach reading from scratch, it is great for those children who think they don't need reading instruction any more. You are able to introduce new concepts painlessly while reading regular books. You use one book for several days and create your lesson based on the words that the child has a problem with in the first reading. The section at the back of the book was especially useful for me because it gives an example of how an average lesson using this system would work. Theory is fine, but it can get jumbled in my brain if I don't know how to put it into practice! Other reviewers on this site have covered this book in much more detail, and you should check their reviews as well. This is more of a testimonial that the method is helpful. Mr. Thogmartin's book and a set of magnetic letters will get your child past the "hat-cat-sat" stage with a minimum of fuss.
Rating: 
Summary: Teach a CHild to Read with Children's Books
Review: The author's target audience is parents who are teachingtheir children to read at home, and he writes in a comprehensiblemanner for those not steeped in educational jargon. On the other hand, he avoids the trap of telling his audience simply what to do as if parents or non-education professionals were not able to grasp the basic principles of literacy development; therefore, this is a book of not only "how to" but "why" and should be quite refreshing for parents who want to know just how reading comes about. The author grounds his beliefs about reading not only in research but also in extensive experience in teaching children to read so that there is a firm connection between theory and practice. No doubt about it--the act of reading is enormously intricate; yet, the straightforward explanation of language acquisition, the interactive reading process, and observable behaviors of early readers should de-mystify the complex reading puzzle for parents. The author has, therefore, skillfully communicated that teaching a child to read is doable without reducing learning to read to some type of simplistic activity. Further, he states the importance of phonics AND places it right where it belongs in the entire reading process--as a valuable tool for the child's word recognition strategies in the context of real reading and real writing. Reading is so much more than merely learning phonetic elements, and the author addresses what the "more" is for the reader. Throughout the book are ample real-life examples of teaching children to read and specific suggestions for parents based on literacy research and actual experiences. Included is a lesson plan format, record-keeping forms, lists of materials, strategy development explanation and activities, and recorded dialogue between parent and child as the child is guided through a book for the first time. This latter section of the book is very helpful--this is what a sit-down, read-with-me lesson really looks like. At the end is a lengthy bibliography of books children customarily enjoy--leveled for a parent's convenience. I am a teacher with 25 years experience in kindergarten and first grade classrooms AND a teacher of parents about reading as well. I would have recommended this book to any one of the parents of my students and do recommend it to parents who are home schooling and those who are interested in how their children learn to read. My suggestion for Mr. Thogmartin is to somehow make his book accessible and available to parents of the various cultures in our society.
Rating:
Summary: refreshing & just right for the intended audience
Review: The author's target audience is parents who are teachingtheir children to read at home, and he writes in a comprehensiblemanner for those not steeped in educational jargon. On the other hand, he avoids the trap of telling his audience simply what to do as if parents or non-education professionals were not able to grasp the basic principles of literacy development; therefore, this is a book of not only "how to" but "why" and should be quite refreshing for parents who want to know just how reading comes about. The author grounds his beliefs about reading not only in research but also in extensive experience in teaching children to read so that there is a firm connection between theory and practice. No doubt about it--the act of reading is enormously intricate; yet, the straightforward explanation of language acquisition, the interactive reading process, and observable behaviors of early readers should de-mystify the complex reading puzzle for parents. The author has, therefore, skillfully communicated that teaching a child to read is doable without reducing learning to read to some type of simplistic activity. Further, he states the importance of phonics AND places it right where it belongs in the entire reading process--as a valuable tool for the child's word recognition strategies in the context of real reading and real writing. Reading is so much more than merely learning phonetic elements, and the author addresses what the "more" is for the reader. Throughout the book are ample real-life examples of teaching children to read and specific suggestions for parents based on literacy research and actual experiences. Included is a lesson plan format, record-keeping forms, lists of materials, strategy development explanation and activities, and recorded dialogue between parent and child as the child is guided through a book for the first time. This latter section of the book is very helpful--this is what a sit-down, read-with-me lesson really looks like. At the end is a lengthy bibliography of books children customarily enjoy--leveled for a parent's convenience. I am a teacher with 25 years experience in kindergarten and first grade classrooms AND a teacher of parents about reading as well. I would have recommended this book to any one of the parents of my students and do recommend it to parents who are home schooling and those who are interested in how their children learn to read. My suggestion for Mr. Thogmartin is to somehow make his book accessible and available to parents of the various cultures in our society.
Rating:
Summary: Teach a CHild to Read with Children's Books
Review: The contents of this book have been wonderful in implementing a successful reading program for my own children. After many starts and stops with complete phonics based programs, this book was a refreshing approach, that actually worked! Very, very applicable for any home-based instruction. Not to mention an enjoyable learning process, as the children themselves help to pick out their "lessons."
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