A Cub in the Tub

December 1, 2024

PreS-Gr 1-These are simple, engaging stories focused on word families and designed to build foundational reading skills. Each book features slightly larger text with limited words on each page, and the rime in each word family is highlighted in a different color within the words. The series includes 20 books, showcasing diverse characters engaging in everyday activities like cooking, painting a shed, or mopping. Other titles feature animal characters doing realistic things like building a dam or sitting on a log. While these stories don't have extensive plots, they are more straightforward and less absurd than some other rhyming texts, making them easier for young readers to follow. Each book includes a few non-decodable words, and it would be helpful if these words were listed at the beginning of the book to allow children to preview them before reading. The focus of this series is not so much on decoding and fluency but on recognizing rhyme and visually identifying patterns within words. They serve as excellent practice books for early readers, with opportunities to explore vocabulary words like snag, slob, and bog. VERDICT With a bit of initial support for the non-word family terms, these books offer an accessible and enjoyable reading experience for beginners.

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