Not All Phonics Books Are Created Equal
When children are in the early stages of learning to read, it’s crucial to understand that there are two types of books they’ll interact with:
1. Books for Pleasure
These are the storybooks children enjoy for their visuals and engaging stories. They may recognize the odd word, but these books are not designed for independent reading by beginner readers.
They’re often full of tricky words and complex sentences that are beyond the scope of a child just starting out.
These books are great for sharing together, encouraging a love of reading, and exploring interests like animals, superheroes, or fairy tales.
2. Phonics Books
Phonics books are designed specifically to help children develop their reading skills. These books:
Support fluency by focusing on sounds the child already knows.
Are structured to build confidence and reinforce learning through practice.
Getting the right phonics book is critical. These books need to align with the child’s current phonics knowledge to ensure they feel successful, confident, and motivated to continue learning.
What to Look For in a Good Phonics Book
To ensure your child gets the most out of their reading practice, look for books with the following features:
1. Focus Sounds
Each book should include a short list of focus sounds that are used frequently throughout the story.
These sounds should be clearly labelled on the front cover or inside page so parents can see exactly which sounds are being practiced.
2. Age-Appropriate Tricky Words
Tricky words don’t follow standard phonics rules (e.g., “said,” “the,” “was”).
A good phonics book will include a short list of tricky words the child will encounter. Parents can introduce these words before reading the story to set their child up for success.
3. Parent Instructions
The inside cover or back page should include clear guidance for parents.
This page should list the focus sounds and tricky words, so parents know exactly how to support their child as they read.
What to Avoid
Here’s an example of a book that calls itself a “first phonics book” but isn’t suitable for beginners:
This book is full of advanced phonics patterns and tricky words that early readers aren’t ready for. If we give children books that are too challenging:
They’ll struggle and lose confidence.
They might become reluctant to keep trying.
Instead, we want books that help them feel successful and excited to keep reading.
Choosing the Right Books Is Important
If you’re looking for an excellent set of phonics books, I highly recommend Scholastic’s Phonics Book Bag Readers.
These books are designed to support beginner readers with just the right level of challenge.
Use my exclusive code ROOTS25 for 25% off the starter packs.
Let’s set our children up for reading success by choosing books that meet them where they are and help them grow with confidence!
