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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99 Items found Print
Active Filters: 1st grade (Ages 6-7), 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)
Amazing Circus of Phonograms: Act 2
by Mary Jo Nyssen, Joe Palmisano
1st edition from MOM-BA-BOOKS
for Preschool-1st grade
in Miscellaneous Phonics (Location: PHO-MISC)
$13.99 $9.00 (2 in stock)
Babar's Little Circus Star
A Step into Reading Book Level 1
by Laurent de Brunhoff
from Random House
for Preschool-1st grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Bad Seed Goes to the Library
I Can Read! Level 1
by Jory John, illustrated by Pete Oswald
from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-1st grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$3.00 (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)
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)
Best Trick
by Rebecca Lewis
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
for Preschool-1st grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$3.50 (2 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)
Bob Books Collection 3
from Scholastic Reference
for Preschool-1st grade
in Bob Books (Location: EAR-BOB)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Bob Books Collection 6
by Lynn Maslen Kertell, illustrated by Dana Sullivan
from Scholastic Reference
for Preschool-1st grade
in Bob Books (Location: EAR-BOB)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Bones
Step Into Reading: Step 2 (Reading with Help)
by Stephen Krensky, illustrated by Davy Jones
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-1st grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$3.00 (1 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)
Bugs, Beetles, and Butterflies
Puffin Science Easy-to-Read Level 1
by Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Lisa Flather
from Puffin Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$3.50 (1 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)
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)
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)
Duckling Days
DK Readers: Level 1 (Beginning to Read)
by Karen Wallace
from DK Publishing
for Kindergarten-1st grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$2.00 (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)
El dia que el perro dijo, "Quiquiriqui!"
Hola, lector! Level 2
by David McPhail
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-1st grade
in Spanish Resources (Location: FL-SPARE)
$2.50 (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)
Fighting Fires
See More Readers Level 1
by Seymour Simon
from SeaStar Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$2.00 (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)
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)
Footprints in the Snow
A Hello Reader! Book Level 1
by Cynthia Benjamin
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-1st grade
in Scholastic / Hello Reader! (Location: EAR-SCH)
$2.00 (3 in stock)
Fun Tales
by Duane Bolin and Sarita Holzmann
from Avyx, Inc.
for Preschool-1st grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$14.00 (1 in stock)
God Made Insects
A. P. Early Readers (Level 2)
by Eric Lyons
from Apologetics Press
for Preschool-1st grade
in Apologetics Press Readers (Location: EAR-APO)
$1.50 (1 in stock)
Good Egg and the Talent Show
I Can Read! Level 1
by Jory John, illustrated by Pete Oswald
from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-1st grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$3.00 (1 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)
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 (1 in stock)
Itchy, Itchy Chicken Pox
Scholastic Reader Level 1
by Grace Maccarone
from Cartwheel Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Scholastic / Hello Reader! (Location: EAR-SCH)
$2.00 (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)
Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same!
Passport to Reading Level 3
by Grace Lin
Passport to Reading Level 3
for Preschool-1st grade
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Honor Book
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$4.99 $3.00 (3 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)
Mommy, Teach Me to Read!
by Barbara Curtis
from B&H Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Miscellaneous Phonics (Location: PHO-MISC)
$8.00 (1 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)
Much More Than the ABCs
by Judith Schickedanz
from National Association for the Education of Young Ch
for Preschool-1st grade
in Miscellaneous Phonics (Location: PHO-MISC)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
My Dog's the Best!
Hello Reader! Level 1
by Stephanie Calmenson
from Cartwheel Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Scholastic / Hello Reader! (Location: EAR-SCH)
$2.00 (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)
Now You See Me...
Step Into Reading: Step 2 (Reading with Help)
by Tish Rabe, illustrated by Christopher Moroney
from Random House
for Preschool-1st grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
One Hundred Shoes
Step Into Reading: Step 2 (Reading with Help)
by Charles Ghigna, illustrated by Bob Staake
from Random House
for Preschool-1st grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$3.00 (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)
Read & Understand with Leveled Texts, Grade 1
from Evan-Moor Educational Publishers
for 1st grade
in Evan-Moor Reading Comprehension (Location: ZCLE-EM)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Reading Games with Ziggy the Zebra
by Marie Rippel
2nd edition from All About Learning Press
for 1st grade
in All About Reading (Location: PHO-AAR)
$20.95 $14.50 (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)
Sam and Jack
by Alex Moran
from Harcourt
for Preschool-1st grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$1.50 (1 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)
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)
Step This Way
Step Into Reading: Step 2 (Reading with Help)
by Tish Rabe, illustrated by Tom Brannon
from Random House
for Preschool-1st grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Stories of Knights
Usborne Young Reading
by Jane Bingham
from Usborne
for Kindergarten-1st grade
in Usborne Beginners (Location: SCI-USBREA)
$2.70 (1 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)
Tawny Scrawny Lion
Step Into Reading: Step 1
by Kristen L. Depken (adapter), illustrated by Sue DiCicco
from Random House
for Kindergarten-1st grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$2.50 (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)
Thomas Jefferson's Feast
A Step into Reading Book Level 4
by Frank Murphy, illustrated by Richard Walz
from Random House
for 1st-3rd grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$3.00 (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)
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)
Whales and Dolphins
A Hello Reader! Book Level 1
by Peter and Connie Roop
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-1st grade
in Scholastic / Hello Reader! (Location: EAR-SCH)
$2.00 (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)
Whatever the Weather
A DK Eyewitness Reader Level 1
by Karen Wallace
from DK Publishing
for Preschool-1st grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$4.99 $2.50 (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)