The Fat Cat Sat on the Mat

[laohaire]

I think my kiddo could benefit from a reader that is really, really basic.

I have some books for her that claim to be for emergent readers, but they seem to me several steps ahead of where we are. Things like Fancy Nancy, she is not even close to ready to read that stuff on her own.

I don't care about plot or anything... just want some basic sentences or even phrases that will get her sounding out words. I just have the feeling that if she can do that, she will suddenly kind of "get" it. I printed the sentence I put in my title for her, and while it was hardly easy for her, she was able to slowly read out the rhyming words. She was pretty excited. But I have nothing else like that. Ideas?

[elizawill]

you can purchase bob books...super easy. you can also download the i see sam books for free: http://www.marriottmd.com/sam/

lastly, progressive phonics is free & might interest you as well: http://www.progressivephonics.com/

hth.

[425lisamarie]

that sentence is in our Explode the code book 1!  My DD LOVES that book.  DS uses book 6. I love the format. It focuses on a group of words,maybe 8 or 10 all with the same sound, like cat, bat, mat, hat, etc.  Some short activities that practice writting and spelling the words in different ways with cute pictures. Then every few pages is a page of two sentences such as the one you wrote "the fat cat sat on the hat" with a  cute pic of a cat sitting on a hat. Each pic has two sentences, one that is correct but they can read both and decide which the pic illustrates.

[laohaire]

Oooh, me like! Just asked DH to print out some of these. Thanks!

[rootzdawta]

My DS didn't like the BOB books so much (although I really liked them).  He much preferred the beginner books by Nora Gaydos and even now that he's a fluent reader, he still loves go back to them.  Very simple plots that he found hilarious.  There are also questions at the back of each story.  I found the two purple (beginner) books at the thrift store/rummage sale.  I borrowed the others (including the BOB books from the library).

[Dar]

My daughter, on the other hand, found a package of Bob books at Border's one summer day and fell in love with them... she sat down and read the first one right there, and then dragged them around the store... and I paid full price for them because I couldn't imagine trying to pry them out of her hands.

[bobandjess99]

The BOB books and the Nora Gaydros ones are really the only ones that are THAT basic that I have found.  My problems is that there is such a jump....from the BOB books to the early readers is like a huge jump, and I can't seem to bridge the gap there either.  My dd can now read the first 4 BOB books..but it isn't really translating into the ability to move forward.  I'm just waiting , and I know she will get it when she gets it. 

[crunchy_mama]

I was going to suggest the I See Sam readers as well, those in that link are the first 2 sets.  There are more sets but they are not available anywhere for free(that I know of anyway).   That could help bridge the gap between the readers.  The progressive phonic site is a good one as well w/ free readers.

[marimara]

There is always Dr. Seuss.  Funny, cute words, great pics.. The Cat in the Hat.  Sam I am.  are two good ones.  

[raelize]

we have been using the bob books and dd reallylikes them.  they have a really big series (i think 5 sets with about 12 books in each set).  we are in book 10 now and i also practice words with dd outside of the reading - just words that are related to the bob that we have already learned, and she seems to do well. i also have her sound out and read words with me when i am reading to her.  i think that she isn't having a problem jumping from them to other books, i think right now she also is just such a basic reader that their aren't that many books that cater to that level.  i am also going to print off and check out some of the other resources.  but i recommend the bob books.

[Daffodil]

For kids at that stage, making up your own little stories (or cartoons, or pictures with captions) is easier than trying to find just the right level of book.  You can make them funnier and more interesting than anything you could buy, and you can make the words and sentence length just right for your kid.  My DS is a very beginning reader, and another thing he really likes is what we call "read it and do it."  I write a short sentence telling him what to do, and he reads the sentence and does it.  ("Get a pen" or "Jump on the bed" or "Hug Mom.")

[woodchick]

How about What's your Sound Hound the Hound? and Cat the Cat, Who is That? by Mo Willems.   Also, the Elephant and Piggie books by the same author.

[CCJWGM]

There is a series of books called My First Reader which are good. Right now my DD's favorites are Flip the Page Rhyme and Read books which all focus on ending sounds and you flip the pages through the beginning letter sounds. 

I went to the librarian to ask for help in finding beginning readers for the just learning crowd.  She voiced the same frustration as you.  She did take me to the beginning reader section and showed me a real quick way to pick them out.  The more advanced ones are rectangular and the super easy ones tend to be square.  Then I can easily tell which ones to look at for my daughter when I go to the section.  So far what she said has been true.  My library also has just beginning reader backpacks which are mostly non-fic.  I know my daughter loves them.  So you might check out your local library. 

[laohaire]

I printed out the Progressive Phonics sample booklet (because it was there and it was free!) and DD and I read through it last night. It was perfect! She really enjoyed it - we did all 44 pages. It's not too easy for her, I had to help her sound out the words and she frequently just guessed based on context, but I think this is exactly the right level for her to challenge herself and take the next step.

I agree with a PP that writing these things myself works, but honestly I was suffering from a lack of imagination. This booklet gave me the idea and I could probably go from there.

[Gem0406]

the progressive phonics books have been perfect for us also - -  dd6 and I are just plugging away at them, reading as many pages a day as he is capable, then going on to the next book when we finish one up.   for the first time, today he wanted to read some of the words in black that were for me to read (but he knew some of them).  as you get up into the intermediate readers there is a fun picture comparison game with each section that he is loving.  keeps him turning those pages.  so thankful and amazed that this is a free resource!

[natashaccat]

the starfall readers might be a good one to try. That being said my experience was that dd actually needed way more practice with blending and basic letter sounds that I realized before she got to the point where she actually enjoyed reading.