Finding best books for learning to read with Usborne

Over Christmas Big Girl was pretending to read me a story, and as I’d heard ‘pretend reading’ was a sign it would be a good time to get started, I decided to take Big Girl on an exciting excursion. The trip went to Waterstones on King’s Road, and more specifically the shelf where there are reading books for children.

I soon realised this was something I should have researched at home before going. It was not as easy as expected to find exactly what we needed. The book I thought looked the most appropriate happened to be a pirate book, and there was no way she was choosing a pirate one to embark on her reading adventure.

We did, however, pick up some lovely early reading books, and I also contacted publishing house Usborne for more guidance on where to get started.

Usborne has three different series of books suitable for young readers, and here’s a brief overview:

Usborne Very First Reading
For children who are starting to learn to read, my favourite series so far is Usborne Very First Reading, as these colourful books with imaginative and rhyming stories are ideal for giving children confidence from the get-go.

I like that the aim of the first books in this series is for a parent and child to take turns reading, which seems to me like the best way to start to read. There’s one page for the child to read with short words in very large print, and then a page for a parent to read in smaller print.

We bought The Dressing-Up Box (£4.99) book, which Big Girl likes because the short story is about dressing up in different costumes, making it spot on for a preschooler. The hardcover book with a ribbon marker also includes several pages with puzzles at the end to test understanding.

To get started, the set of 15 of Usborne Very First Reading books seems like a great buy for £24.99.

Usborne Reading Programme
The Usborne Reading Programme series is a collection of more than 300 books, and the programme includes seven levels, starting with Level 1 books with 32 pages.

The hardcover books with ribbon markers are similar in style to Usborne Very First Reading books and they also feature colourful illustrations and charming stories, such as retellings of popular tales. In the Level 1 books, the main story is up to 150 words long, and each book also features several pages of puzzles related to the story.

Big Girl received The Greedy Dog to try, and this book is a sweet unisex early reading book. I like that it’s animal-themed and doesn’t include any specific names, but repeats short words, such as ‘dog, that she can read on her own.

New Phonics Readers
Usborne also has the New Phonics Readers series of fun paperback books with rhyming text and repetitive language, and I think this series is particularly good for inspiring children to read, as the stories are light-hearted and entertaining.

Big Girl received Bee Makes Tea (£4.99) to review–her own choice–and although it is a level up from the Usborne Very First Reading Books, the short amusing story has become a favourite. She’s brought the book to nursery to show her teachers, and I’ve read it to her and had her read some of the words in the book as a first step.

Learning to read today seems pretty fun!

Tags: Books, Learning to read, New Phonics Readers, Phonics, Reading, Usborne, Usborne Reading Programme, Usborne Very First Reading