Learning to read with Mr Men and Egmont Reading Ladder

The other day Big Girl read a Mr Men book on her own. It wasn’t one of the standard Mr Men books, but it was fun to see her reaction when she realised she could read a book about a familiar character.

And this is one of the things I’ve loved about Egmont’s new reading ladder. We received some books to review from Egmont’s new reading ladder, and it’s been refreshing to see starter reading books with familiar characters, such as Mr Men.

I think the fact that young readers can start reading books that will remind them of other books they love can help boost confidence and get them more excited about reading. In addition to Mr Men, the series includes Thomas the Tank Engine books–a level up from the Mr Men books–and books from much-loved children’s authors such as Julia Donaldson and Jacqueline Wilson.

There are 14 Level 1 books aimed at starter readers, and Level 1 covers book band colours Pink, Red, Yellow, Blue and Green. I’ve realised it’s important to look at the colour band when buying books for learning to read, as Pink books are much easier to read than Green, for example.

From the Egmont series, I’ve loved the Mr Men books (book band Red), which have been good starter books for someone who has started learning sight words. Since we have many other Mr Men books, I think they are easier to get excited about than some of the more traditional first reading books. Each of the books feature two stories with short sentences, big type, repetition and fun and colourful illustrations.

The Level 1 Reading Ladder books for slightly more advanced readers feature stories that three-year-old Big Girl also likes as bedtime stories, such as the cute Under the Sea book (book band Green), which has a story about a fish who thinks she’s better than everyone else and has to learn to praise others for their talents too.

The series includes 14 Level 1 books, and the books, which are slim paperbacks, are ideal for taking on holiday over the summer for anyone planning to fit in some beach-side reading.

Happy reading!

Tags: Egmont, Learning to read, Mr Men, Paperback, Reading Ladder, Thomas the Tank Engine, Under the Sea