Description
These warm and wonderful readers will delight both students and teachers as they guide young children along the path of written language one step at a time. Written in order and phonetically, each story focuses on specific word groups, sounds and sentence structures. Each story has a beginning, middle and an ending. Succeeding stories build on these skills and then move on to the next level of skill. The books are conceived in much the same way as the “Dick and Jane” readers of an earlier era, but with a very important difference: these stories have a touching “heart content” to them. The stories are gently humorous while honoring nature, animals and the environment. The illustrations in their warm simplicity are wonderful compliments to the stories! Whether you are rewarding an eager reader with a first experience of reading something someone else wrote, or helping a struggling reader get the hang of all those letters, these readers are sheer joy for everyone.
The six books use simple words that the early reader will easily grasp. They have been carefully chosen by a reading specialist to help students advance from the short vowels to the silent “e” to the vowel combinations. At the back of each book is a list of sight words that should be reviewed with the child before reading the book.
Titles of Books in the Set (Available as a set of 6 only):
Sam Cat and Nat Rat: This pair begins by annoying each other and then end up friends.
Ned and Fred: A pig and a dog don’t think they’ve got much in common, but discover they both love to do the same things
Len Bug and Jen Slug: It’s amazing how much fun you can have and what you can learn from those who are very different from you.
Jake the Snake: Jake doesn’t like moles (and probably a lot of other creatures, too!), but decides to change his mind after getting to know one.
Tim’s Boat: Tim builds a toy boat for himself, but discovers it was really built for three other creatures, too.
Kay and Jay: Kay and Jay are two snails who have lots of fun playing together. One day they are caught in a hail storm and have to help each other find shelter. When the sun comes out, the play begins again.
Grades 1-3
Author Biography:
Shelley Davidow was born and raised in South Africa. Her books for children, young adults and adults have been published in Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. In 2002, her young adult novel, In the Shadow of Inyangani (Macmillan 2003), was a finalist in the Macmillan/Picador BBC World Writer’s Prize for Africa. She has an MSEd from Sunbridge College in New York and has taught in schools, colleges and universities across the world. She now lives on the East Coast of Australia with her husband and son.
Cathy –
“These books have enough humor and whimsy to capture the beginning reader’s interest, the first critical step in any learning process. They are a sweetly artistic and practical source for inviting students into the world of reading. The repetition of phonemic patterns gives good practice; yet, there is enough variation to keep the reader attentive.”
Nancy Blanning, co-author of Movement Journeys and Circle Adventures, spent 17 years as an early childhood Waldorf Teacher. She is currently the Educational Support Teacher and Therapeutic and Remedial Consultant at the Denver Waldorf School.