Customer Reviews

The Complete Book of Reading 1 & 2 (The Complete Book Series)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Like all the "Complete Book of..." series, this book really breaks down each skill into its necessary components in a logical and easy to understand order. The pages are colorful and the approaches to teaching are varied, so that all types of learning styles are accommodated. There is a reading list, three "reward" certificates for each level of completion, and many good recommended additional activities for the parent and child.

However, my first grader whizzed through this book in a matter of a few months. Its activities might be helpful for second graders who need remedial work in reading comprehension and phonics presented in a nonthreatening way, but for most 7 and 8 year olds, the work in these books will be far too easy and the approach a little babyish (fluffy ducks and bears narrating, etc.)

If you're looking for a fun, comprehensive and well-rounded phonics and reading program for a first grader, though, especially if you homeschool, I would definitely recommend this one, and perhaps supplement it with the "Complete Book of Handwriting" and/or one of the McGraw Hill/ Spectrum writing books. These guys have managed to develop one of the most kid-friendly and effective phonics programs around for a very reasonable fee, but the parent just has to be cognizant of the child's true skill level as opposed to the grade level assigned on the front cover. With that in mind, my first grader got a lot out of this book this year, and we plan to use their "Complete Book of Reading Grades 3-4" next year for second grade.

My daughter is in first grade and she is almost done with this book. We started in late summer last year (but we are also using several other themed workbooks at the same time) and have found the activities to be varied and interesting.

The book is well-organized, and is structured thus:
Phonics -
Letter Recognition
Auditory Discrimination
Consonants
Short Vowels
Long Vowels
Variant Consonant Sounds
Consonant Blends
Consonant Digraphs
r-controlled vowels
Vowel Pairs
Word Structure

Reading Comprehension -
Context Clues
Antonyms, Synonyms, and Homophones
Classifying
Main Idea
Sequence
Following Directions
Drawing Conclusions
Facts and Details
Similarities and Differences
Making Inferences
Cause and Effect
Predicting Outcomes
Making Judgments
Realism or Fantasy?
Appreciating Literature
Critical Thinking

Grammar and Writing -
Alphabetical Order
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
Sentences
Make Your Own Storybooks

Not only are the various skills-based activities well put together from a curriculum standpoint, there are also lots of color illustrations that will serve to motivate visual learners. There are also certificates that can be pulled out to award a child for completing each of the skills. My daughter reads above grade level, and has already started working on The Complete Book of Reading Grades 3-4, which I'd also highly recommend.

I highly recomend this book for your k-2nd ages. Fun and easy learning for all.