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Preschool education

Get advice from other Mumsnetters to find the best nursery for your child on our Preschool forum.

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Original poster

Usbourne Phonics Readers - any good

22 replies

GoldenSnitch · 27/04/2010 13:39

Looking at getting some of these for my 3 year old DS. Not this pack but a similar one containing "Toad makes a road", "Goose on the loose", "Ted's shed", "Frog on a log", "Hen's pens", "Ted in a red bed", "Big pig on a dig" and "Fox on a box".

Apparently, they're supposed to help with first Phonics and learning to read. I've read reviews on Amazon (which were all 5 star) but wanted to know what Mumsnet thought. Are they any good? Will they really help me to teach DS to read?

The pack is £14.99, is it worth it?

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compo · 27/04/2010 13:43

I'd just get them from the library
you can order them in if their not on the shelves
they're not really something your dcs will want to keep forever and ever

rookiemater · 27/04/2010 13:45

I bought these, to be honest not overly impressed but then DS is 4 and not started to do his own reading yet so maybe they will come into their own once he is a bit older.

If you get them from The Book People they are £9.99. Or even better you could see if the library have any so you can borrow them and see how you get on.

jetgirl · 27/04/2010 13:50

I got them here yesterday. DD is loving them and I think they're lovely, when DS is older he can have them too. Money well spent, I'd say!

Original poster

GoldenSnitch · 27/04/2010 13:52

I'm not so worried about longevity. DS is my eldest and I'm the first of my family to have children so potentially, they'd be passed onto my DD then my younger sister's children, the the next younger sister's children then my brother's children when they have them which all are planning to...

They're lift the flaps and no doubt the library copies would be missing the flaps - they usually are.

Plus, I'm a bit of a bibliophile myself and love owning books, much to DH's distress

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jetgirl · 27/04/2010 13:54

Goldensnitch - I hide book purchases from my husband, in the way other people might hide shoes or clothes

Original poster

GoldenSnitch · 27/04/2010 13:55

That's all 12 for £10! 4 more books for £5 less. I know pat of the money goes to DS's pre school but that's a much better deal

Thanks Jetgirl

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Original poster

GoldenSnitch · 27/04/2010 13:56

LOL - me too

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mollymawk · 27/04/2010 13:56

We have a couple of these and DS2 really enjoys them (he is 4 and in Reception, learning to read). It is nice to have something that he can actually read that isn't one of this official reading books from school.

(DD likes them too but she is only 23 mths and tends to read them upside down...)

Original poster

GoldenSnitch · 27/04/2010 14:00

Do you think they help them learn to read?

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jetgirl · 27/04/2010 14:12

Well, DD has been doing lots of phonics work at school, so I bought them to support that. I think she would have struggled to actually read at 3, she could recognise her name but that was about it! She is in reception at school and I am astounded at how much she can read now, down to the phonics work she has done with her teacher and the letter sounds we practise at home for 'homework'. I imagine a 3 year old would enjoy the stories and pictures, and there's a tiny duck hidden on each page to look for which is fun. The phonics way of learning to read is very effective, so they would definitely support that.

Original poster

GoldenSnitch · 27/04/2010 14:21

DS recognises his name. They have envelopes with their names on them at pre-school and first job of the day is to find your envelope and post it into the post box. He picked his up with no helps at all this morning on his 3rd ever morning there! I was so proud

I think I'm going to get them. They certainly can't hurt his learning to read can they?

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suitejudyblue · 27/04/2010 14:27

Have you spoken to the teacher in the reception class your DS will go to ? I have these books but found out that the school used a different scheme and so I got the books from that one which meant that my DCs were familiar with them before they started school.
I got mine from the Book People/Scholastic as well - much better value.

Original poster

GoldenSnitch · 27/04/2010 14:29

He's just turned 3. He won't be going to school for another 18 months. I see what you mean about getting the right one's though...Hmmm, the pre-school is attached to the school, maybe they might know?

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muddleduck · 27/04/2010 14:34

IMO they are really excellent for the small window of time where they are just starting to read.

They were the first books that ds1 could ready by himself and so he really liked them for that reason. I would buy them and then keep them in the cupboard until he first starts to learn to read.

I wouldn't stress about getting the books that the school will use... you will get bored of those fast enough!

suitejudyblue · 27/04/2010 14:45

Yes, muddleduck, you're right I didn't mean the ORT/whatever books themselves but finding out which phonics scheme the school uses - Jolly phonics/Letterland/other to avoid starting off with one scheme and then finding that the school teaches differently.
I know this won't be a problem GS if your DS has learnt all of his sounds before he gets to school.
I'm sure the preschool will know and I don't think its too early to ask to have a tour of the school and asking about the method of teaching reading in reception would be a very valid question.

StrikeUpTheBand · 27/04/2010 14:46

Does he know his 'letter sounds'? Can he blend them together yet?

I got a book that had all of these tales in from the library for DS (shortly before he turned 3). He was beginning to blend sounds to read words that were in the book, but found reading them himself a bit too slow at that point as although he could technically read he was not very fluent (and still in't yet).

IMHO they are definitely books intended as phonic readers but this means that they are not that exciting (a bit like the old "See Spot run. Run Spot run...(etc)"

Personally, I would get to the stage of being able to recognise at least the main sounds and put them together to read before you did the reading books (that's if he isn't at that stage already). Also, have you looked at Jolly Phonics products in ELC? My DS learned his sounds mostly from playing one of those electronic games (the sort that Leapfrog etc makes) plus from his alphabet jigsaw.

Original poster

GoldenSnitch · 27/04/2010 14:48

That's a good point muddleduck! DS's favourite bedtime book for the past few months has been "Where's my cow" and we're both sick of reading that one. Variety would be wonderful

I've found a voucher code for 5% off. I think I'm going to get them.

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StrikeUpTheBand · 27/04/2010 14:49

And one thing my DS really found useful was Alphablocks (on Cbeebies and they have an excellent interactive bit on the cbeebies website. Would really recommend - DS is obsessed with them

Original poster

GoldenSnitch · 27/04/2010 14:53

We have one of those Leap Frog letter sounding magnet things. The only letter he tends to sound at the moment is X - it's one of the letters in his name but I'm sure the others won't be far behind as he's definitely interested.

He likes playing the Alphablocks games in Cbeebies too and I think they're helping.

We love reading together and as muddle duck says, I can always keep them for when he's ready if they're going to be useful in the future

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Original poster

GoldenSnitch · 27/04/2010 14:54

x posts strikeuptheband

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StrikeUpTheBand · 27/04/2010 15:01

Alphablocks is such a favourite that I record episodes and use them as little incentives when he has used the potty! It has definitely helped him.

For what it's worth, I'm a reception teacher on ML and am thinking of how it would have helped children in my class too.

I would definitely find out what approach the school will use if you can, but if hes showing an interest already chances are he'll be fine whatever the school does .

Original poster

GoldenSnitch · 27/04/2010 19:33

Thanks StikeUpTheBand, I hope he's going to love school just as much as I did

Glad Alphablocks has a teachers thumbs up. Makes me feel better about letting him watch it. My Mum and Sister are teachers but they teach 11-16's so they don't know as much about first years teaching.

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