Recommended Resource For Kids Learning To Read: We Both Read

Helping my children transition from "not reading" to "reading" was by far one of the most magical moments of mothering.

It was also one of the most excruciating.

There were times I'd be snuggled up close with my son, just waaaaiiiiiittttting foooooorrrrr the neeeeeeeeeeext wooooooooooord to be said.

Stabbing a fork in my ear would have been less painful.

And yet, working through a stack of choppy early reader books is just part of the package.

Or is it?

I ran across a series that rethinks the beginner books for kids. It's called We Both Read, and the layout of each page allows for both parent and child to...read.

Here's how it works:

We Both Read books feature pages that alternate in reading difficulty. The left-hand pages, which you read, have more complex text. The right-hand pages, which your child reads, feature text that is appropriate for your child's reading ability.

I found these books to be far more palatable for both of us to sit through. Here are a few reasons why:

• The stories have more depth
  
  
• The story moves along, thus lowering frustration
  
  
• The reading experience promotes teamwork between parent and child
  
  
• The child gets to hear a more complex sentence structure and vocabulary
  

The books are also perfect for an older child to read alongside a younger child who is just beginning to read.

These books were a big hit in my home when my second son was learning to read. Because of that, I asked the publisher for some copies to give away, and they sent me six! The titles and levels are as follows:

My Day (Level K)

We All Sleep (Level K-1)

Just Five More Minutes (Level 1)

About Space (Level 1-2)

A Pony Named Peanut (Level 2)

Endangered Animals (Level 2)

So take a look at those books (each link will give you a close-up of the level of text) and let me know if there's one you'd prefer. I'll pick some winners in the future at some appointed time, still unknown to me.

This series of books is what Works For Me This Wednesday, now over at We Are THAT Family.