HOW TO USE BOB BOOKS
Bob Books are recommended over and over by teachers and parents because they are so wonderfully simple. Once you have determined that your child is ready for Bob Books, here are some ways to use the books with your beginning reader.
Be ready to spend some quality time with your child. Sit in a comfortable chair or couch. Either of you may hold the first Bob Book in Set 1, Mat. We do not necessarily recommend reading the book to your child – they may be able to read it to you, even the first time.
Open the book. After reading the title page to your child, look at the next page on the right (Mat.). Ask your child to say the sound the first letter makes. Say the sound (mmmm) rather than the letter name "M." So, the first page is mmm, aaa, ttt. Ask your child to say the sounds individually, then faster, until they turn into one word.
If the child is having trouble figuring out where to look, use your finger to cover up the letters a and t, and have him read only the mmm. Then uncover the a, then the t. This straightforward technique teaches that reading progresses from left to right.
If these letter sounds are not familiar, use the clues on the first page to learn the first sound in the picture.
For the first reading sessions, help sound out letters, point out shapes and ask questions. Use the guides in the front and the back cover of each book to guide the reading time together.
After awhile, let your child explore Bob Books on their own. Some children like to sort the individual books, look at the pictures or try reading new words by themselves. Don’t push, just encourage.
Soon your child will be saying "I read the whole book!"® This is the magic of Bob Books.
