In 1991, I began a little business tutoring children in reading. I used a popular (at the time) phonics program and it was slow going. These poor little guys and gals seriously believed they hated to read. As a bibliophile myself, nothing seemed sadder to me than thinking that one hated books, the primary source of knowledge in our culture.
At that time, I had never heard of Bob Books or anything like it. We trudged along with phonics lessons on flashcards and in songs, and I did my best to wrap up each lesson with a story in a picture book that children could love. I was convinced even then that love was the foundation of true learning.
How I wish I had had Bob Books back then! I firmly believe my students would have thrived on them the way my own children do now.
Children, once they gain a bit of knowledge, like to flex their new mental muscles. Bob Books are the perfect outlet. Children learn just a handful of sounds–a, m, o, s, and t–and suddenly they can read a whole book! I see their little chests puff out with triumph; they are so happy to read a real book, all by themselves.
Just this past weekend, my five-year-old (who is my current reading student), got out her Set 1 books (she is working on Set 2 these days). She read through each book with a smile on her face, because she could read them all. I think we often underestimate the power of that feeling of victory, that moment when we have grasped a new concept and hold it fast with satisfaction and joy, turning it over in our minds. This is what Bob Books offer to little ones.
Oh, sure, they outgrow them in time. But I can say from experience that even an 8-year-old can remember them fondly. “My first books!” he says…and he smiles.
- Brandy Vencel is a mother of 4 and is blogging at Teaching with Bob Books.
Tags: Bob Books, learning to read