Phonics & Reading

We encounter language in four basic ways: hearing, speaking, reading and writing. The first form by which language comes to us is hearing—before we are able to express language, we hear it used by those around us. Eventually children learn to speak themselves, and by the time they learn to read the average child has a spoken or oral vocabulary of 400-500 words. The larger the child's oral vocabulary, the easier it will be for him to learn to read.

The transition between spoken and read language comes when a child begins to realize the symbols he sees all around him—on road signs, in the hymnal, on the cereal box—represent the words he hears and speaks. Learning to read is simply learning to decipher these symbols in context.

Phonics is the study of the relationship between letters and the sounds they make. A child who learns to read phonetically learns to understand written language based not on the mere appearance of words on the page, but based on the sounds and oral vocabulary he already knows. Phonetic instruction provides the most thorough foundation for understanding written language because it builds upon prior naturally acquired knowledge, rather than setting up a brand-new learning paradigm that can ultimately confuse and frustrate students.

Of course, there is good and bad phonics instruction. Good phonics instruction is the result of pairing an understanding of Phonics Facts with a good Phonics Habit. Phonics facts are the sounds letters make alone or in combination, also called phonograms. A good Phonics Habit entails the ability to read and pronounce phonograms correctly by recalling them from oral memory.

Without a firm grasp of Phonics Facts and a solid Phonics Habit, a person is limited to reading only words he can memorize. No one can memorize every word in the English language, but with phonics a student can read virtually any word he encounters, whether he has seen or heard the word before or not.

Teaching a child to read well takes time; the purpose is not simply to be able to let the child loose as soon as possible, but to provide him the proper tools for unlocking language on his own. The rewards of teaching your child to read are some of the greatest you'll ever have academically—you can almost see his mind waking up as the whole realm of learning opens before him. Basically all knowledge is made available by the ability to read, not just of science and history, but knowledge of God and His people, and the offer of this to your child is one of the greatest gifts you'll ever provide.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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90 Items found Print
Active Filters: 2nd grade (Ages 7-8), Trade Paperback, Used Books & Materials
Abe Lincoln's Hat
by Martha Brenner
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Abraham Lincoln
DK Readers Level 3
by Justine & Ron Fontes
from DK Publishing
for 1st-3rd grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Bad Puppy
by Margo Lundell
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Scholastic / Hello Reader! (Location: EAR-SCH)
$1.50 (1 in stock)
Bats
by Lily Wood
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Bats: Creatures of the Night
by Joyce Milton, illustrated by Joyce Moffatt
from Penguin Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Bear Cub
All Aboard Reading - Station Stop 2
by Pam Pollack and Meg Belviso, illustrated by Neecy Twinem
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 1st-2nd grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Beautiful Stories for Children
by Michael McHugh
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 2nd grade
in CLP Phonics & Reading (Location: REA-CLP)
$14.50 $7.00 (1 in stock)
Bermuda Triangle
DK Eyewitness Readers Level 3
by Andrew Donkin
from DK Publishing
for 1st-3rd grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$4.99 $3.00 (2 in stock)
Best Mistake Ever! and Other Stories
A Step into Reading Book Level 3
by Richard Scarry
from Random House
for 1st-3rd grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$4.99 $2.50 (1 in stock)
Beyond Phonics: Word Pattern Stories - Text
by Nancy D. Nelson
Revised edtion from Training for Life Publications
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Reading Reference (Location: REF-READ)
$18.00 (1 in stock)
Big Ball of String
by Marion Holland
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB)
$4.50 (2 in stock)
Buddy, the First Seeing Eye Dog
by Eva Moore
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Scholastic / Hello Reader! (Location: EAR-SCH)
$2.00 (2 in stock)
Buster the Very Shy Dog in the Great Bone Game
Green Light Readers Level 3
by Lisze Bechtold
from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
for 1st-3rd grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Call for a New Alphabet
by Jef Czekaj
from Charlesbridge
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Clearance: English & Language Arts (Location: ZCLE-LAN)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Christian Liberty Nature Reader Book 2 (old)
by Julia Wright
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 2nd grade
in Old Edition Reading (Location: OREAD)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Clara and the Bookwagon
An I Can Read Book Level 3
by Nancy Smiler Levinson
from HarperCollins
for 2nd-4th grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$4.99 $2.50 (2 in stock)
Clouds
by Marion Dane Bauer, Illustrated by John Wallace
from Simon and Schuster
for 1st-2nd grade
in Ready-to-Read (Location: EAR-R2R)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Complete Help Your Child Learn to Read Book
by Sherry Ann Perry
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Clearance: English & Language Arts (Location: ZCLE-LAN)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Creating the Best Literacy Block Ever
by Deborah Camp, Gayle Morrison, Maryann Manning
from Scholastic Reference
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Clearance: English & Language Arts (Location: ZCLE-LAN)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Crime Busters
Dorling Kindersley Readers - Level 4 Proficient Readers
by Andrew Donkin
from DK Publishing
for 2nd-4th grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Dinosaur Days
Step Into Reading 3
by Joyce Milton, Franco Tempesta
Revised from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Dive!
Hello Reader! Level 3
by Melvin Berger
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-2nd grade
in Scholastic / Hello Reader! (Location: EAR-SCH)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Diving Dolphin
DK Readers Level 1
by Karen Wallace
from DK Children
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
DK Readers: Star Wars Ultimate Library - Boxed Set
DK Readers Level 1, 2 and 3
from DK Publishing
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$40.00 (1 in stock)
Dodsworth in New York
by Tim Egan
Reprint from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$4.99 $3.00 (1 in stock)
Earthquakes
Scholastic Science Reader Level 2
by Deborah Heiligman
from Scholastic Reference
for 1st-3rd grade
in Scholastic / Hello Reader! (Location: EAR-SCH)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Emperor Penguins
by Roberta Edwards
from Grosset & Dunlap
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Extreme! Earth
Spectrum Readers Level 2 (Reading with help)
by Katharine Kenah
from Carson-Dellosa Publishing Company
for 1st-2nd grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Famous Explorers
A Hello Reader! Book Level 3
by Garnet Jackson
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-2nd grade
in Scholastic / Hello Reader! (Location: EAR-SCH)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Fire Fighter!
DK Eyewitness Readers Level 2
by Angela Royston
from DK Publishing
for 1st-3rd grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$4.99 $3.00 (1 in stock)
Five Notable Inventors
by Wade Hudson
from Cartwheel Books
in Scholastic / Hello Reader! (Location: EAR-SCH)
$1.50 (1 in stock)
Fluffy's Silly Summer
by Kate Mcmullan
from Cartwheel Books
for 1st-2nd grade
in Scholastic / Hello Reader! (Location: EAR-SCH)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
George Washington's Mother
An All Aboard Reading Reader Level 3
by Jean Fritz
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Going for Gold!
by Andrew Donkin
from DK Publishing
for 2nd-4th grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$2.00 (2 in stock)
Great Snakes!
Hello Reader! Level 2
by Fay Robinson
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Scholastic / Hello Reader! (Location: EAR-SCH)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Helen Keller
DK Readers Level 3
by Leslie Garrett
from DK Publishing
for 1st-3rd grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Helen Keller: The World at Her Fingertips
I Can Read! Level 2
by Sarah Albee, illustrated by Gustavo Mazali
from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Horse Heroes: True Stories of Amazing Horses
A DK Eyewitness Reader Level 4
by Kate Petty
from DK Publishing
for 2nd-4th grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Horse Heroes: True Stories of Amazing Horses
A DK Eyewitness Reader Level 4
by Kate Petty
from DK Publishing
for 2nd-4th grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$4.99 $2.50 (1 in stock)
I Am a Shark
Discovery All-Star Readers Level 2
by Lori C. Froeb
from Silver Dolphin
for 1st-2nd grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
I Can Read It! - 4 Volumes
by John Holzmann
from Avyx, Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Miscellaneous Phonics (Location: PHO-MISC)
$24.00 (2 in stock)
Just a Few Words, Mr. Lincoln
An All Aboard Reading Reader Level 4
by Jean Fritz
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 2nd-3rd grade
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Kick, Pass, and Run
by Leonard Kessler
from HarperTrophy
for Preschool-2nd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Knights
Usborne Beginners
by Stephanie Turnbull
from Usborne
for 1st-2nd grade
in Usborne Beginners (Location: SCI-USBREA)
$2.25 (1 in stock)
Lesson for Martin Luther King, Jr.
A Ready-to-Read Book Level 2
by Denise Lewis Patrick
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 1st-3rd grade
in Ready-to-Read (Location: EAR-R2R)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Little Lucy
Step Into Reading Level 3 (Reading on your own)
by Ilene Cooper, illustrated by John Kanzler
from Random House
for 1st-3rd grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
LOE Rhythm of Handwriting Manuscript - Workbook
1st edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$11.99 $8.00 (1 in stock)
Long, Tall Lincoln
I Can Read! Level 2
by Jennifer Dussling, illustrated by Chin Ko
from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Man of Peace
by Garnet Jackson, Illustrations by George Ford
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Scholastic / Hello Reader! (Location: EAR-SCH)
$3.00 (4 in stock)
Monster Trucks!
Step into Reading Level 3
by Susan E. Goodman and Michael J. Doolittle
from Random House
for 1st-3rd grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Mystery of the Missing Peas
Level 1B
by Tessa Greene, illustrated by Shannon Vogus
from The Good and the Beautiful
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Noah Webster's Reading Handbook
by Darrel Trulson
from Christian Liberty Press
for 1st-2nd grade
in CLP Phonics & Reading (Location: REA-CLP)
$12.85 $7.50 (1 in stock)
Pirates! Raiders of the High Seas
DK Eyewitness Readers Level 4
by Christopher Maynard, Harriet Griffey
from DK Publishing
for 2nd-4th grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$3.99 $2.50 (1 in stock)
Plants Bite Back!
DK Eyewitness Readers Level 3
by Richard Platt
from DK Publishing
for 1st-3rd grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$4.99 $2.50 (1 in stock)
Ponies
National Geographic Kids Level 1
by Laura Marsh
from National Geographic
for 1st-3rd grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Ponies and Horses
DK Eyewitness Readers Level 1
by Fiona Lock
from DK Publishing
for 1st-3rd grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Primary Phonics 6 - Workbook
by Barbara W. Makar
from Educators Publishing Service
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Primary Phonics (Location: PHO-PRIM)
$10.79 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Rain
Ready-to-Read Level 1
by Marion Dane Bauer, Illustrated by John Wallace
from Simon and Schuster
for 1st-2nd grade
in Ready-to-Read (Location: EAR-R2R)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Rainbow Fish: Puffer Cries Shark
by Sonia Sander
1st edition from HarperFestival
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Reading Lesson
by Charan Langton, Michael Levin
2nd edition from Mountcastle Company
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Miscellaneous Phonics (Location: PHO-MISC)
$17.50 (1 in stock)
Reading Teacher's Book of Lists
by Edward B. Fry, Jacqueline E. Kress
5th edition from Jossey-Bass
for Kindergarten-12th grade
in Miscellaneous Phonics (Location: PHO-MISC)
$20.00 (1 in stock)
Ready, Set, Read!
by Barbara Curtis
from Broadman & Holman
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Reading Reference (Location: REF-READ)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Rocks and Minerals
National Geographic Kids Level 2
by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
from National Geographic
for 1st-2nd grade
in Geology (Rocks & Minerals) (Location: SCI-GEO)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Show Me the Honey
Step into Reading: Step 3 (Reading On Your Own)
by Tish Rabe, illustrated by Christopher Moroney
from Random House
for 1st-3rd grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Slower Than a Snail
by Anne Schreiber
from Scholastic Inc.
in Scholastic / Hello Reader! (Location: EAR-SCH)
$1.00 (1 in stock)
Snakes
Scholastic Reader Level 2
by Nic Bishop
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Scholastic / Hello Reader! (Location: EAR-SCH)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Sniffles, Sneezes, Hiccups, and Coughs
DK Eyewitness Readers Level 2
by Penny Durant
from DK Publishing
for 1st-3rd grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Snow Dogs!
DK Readers Level 4
by Ian Whitelaw
from DK Publishing
for 2nd-3rd grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Space Heroes: Amazing Astronauts
by James Buckley, Jr.
1st edition from DK Publishing
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Space Station
by Peter Chrisp
1st edition from DK Children
for 2nd-4th grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Spaceships and Rockets
DK Readers Level 2
by Deborah Lock
from DK Publishing
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Spell to Write and Read
by Wanda Sanseri
from Back Home Industries
for Kindergarten-12th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
$58.00 $24.00 (1 in stock)
Spell to Write and Read (old)
by Wanda Sanseri
from Back Home Industries
for Kindergarten-12th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
$15.00 (1 in stock)
Stories of the Pilgrims
by Margaret Pumphrey
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in CLP Phonics & Reading (Location: REA-CLP)
$14.50 $8.00 (2 in stock)
Stories of the Pilgrims (old)
by Margaret Pumphrey
Revised Edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Old Edition Reading (Location: OREAD)
$3.50 (2 in stock)
Suprise Party
by Annabelle Prager
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Teach a Child to Read with Children's Books
by Mark B. Thogmartin
2nd edition
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Reading Reference (Location: REF-READ)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Thank You, Amelia Bedelia
by Peggy Parish
Revised from HarperCollins
for 1st-3rd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Titanic
by Mark Dubowski
from DK Publishing
for 2nd-3rd grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Titanic Lost...and Found
Step into Reading Level 4
by Judy Donnelly, illustrated by Keith Kohler
from Random House
for 1st-4th grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$5.99 $3.00 (1 in stock)
Trojan Horse
DK Readers Level 4
by David Clement-Davies
from DK Children
for 2nd-4th grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Upstairs Mouse, Downstairs Mole
Green Light Readers Level 3
by Wong Herbert Yee
Reprint from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$4.99 $3.00 (1 in stock)
Volcanoes
by Nicholas Nirgiotis
Reissue
for 1st-3rd grade
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Volcanoes: Run For Your Life!
Scholastic Discover More Readers Level 3
by Laaren Brown
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$0.00 (1 in stock)
We Are Growing!
Elephant and Piggie Like Reading!
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Weather
by Lee Bennett Hopkins
First Edition from HarperCollins
for 2nd-4th grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Whales: The Gentle Giants
A Step into Reading Book Level 2
by Joyce Milton
from Random House
for 1st-3rd grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$4.99 $2.00 (1 in stock)
Wind
Ready-to-Read Level 1
by Marion Dane Bauer, Illustrated by John Wallace
from Simon and Schuster
for 1st-2nd grade
in Ready-to-Read (Location: EAR-R2R)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Wolf in the North Woods
Level 2
by Heather Horn, illustrated by Victoria Skakandi
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 1st-2nd grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Wolves
Scholastic Science Readers Level 2
by Carolyn B. Otto
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-2nd grade
in Scholastic / Hello Reader! (Location: EAR-SCH)
$2.00 (1 in stock)