Lately I have been reading a lot myself about educating a child, one of the things that I have come across time and again is a recommendation for the faith-based I CAN READ! series from Zondervan. New as of this month, August 2010 are a few great I CAN READ! Books in a Made By God Series. These are so great! In the library and at every possible place to buy books I have seen the I CAN READ! books, grocery stores, super stores and chain booksellers as well as our local indie. I never really picked them up, but I’ve been meaning to. Now after experiencing these I know I need to go find more and I’m sure we’ll have dozens of these as her reading years go on.

Just right books are judged by:

• sentence / book length
• vocabulary and language structure
• text layout and picture support
• text type and subject matter
• word analysis—for example, are the words easy to sound out? Is their meaning clear? Are they familiar, part of a child’s everyday vocabulary?

Finding just right books for your child fosters independence, confidence, and a life-long love of books.

Fact-based books with color photos in a proven format that introduces children to the joy of reading.

Cats, Dogs, Hamsters, and Horses
Level 2
Pages: 32 — 6 x 9 inches
Date Published: August 2010

Did you know — That you should take care of your pet, just like your parents take care of you? God made these special animals to be our friends!

Poisonous, Smelly, and Amazing Plants
Level 2
Pages: 32 — 6 x 9 inches
Date Published: August 2010

Did you know — The Venus Flytrap plant eats bugs? That the redwood is the tallest tree in the world? God’s awesome world is filled with unusual plants!

Spiders, Snakes, Bees, and Bats
Level 2
Pages: 32 — 6 x 9 inches
Date Published: August 2010

Did you know — There are thousands of different kids of spiders? That snakes smell with their tongues? Read all about God’s creepy, crawly creations!

These books are fascinating. As my Enginerd an I perused them AppleBlossom is already interested in looking at the pictures even though she is not quite ready for the story. Each page has great full sentences that will be great for any emerging reader and photographs that really bring the nature of things made by God to life. It easily makes both the Enginerd and myself eager to head off to a museum or zoo. I really hope she will enjoy nature and education as we do and with a love of reading as these type of book should encourage I think that would be very possible.

I highly recommend this series and am eager to find more I Can Read! series. It looks to me that the list of titles for I Can Read! books is endless!!

*Thanks to Pam Mettler of Zondervan for providing a copy of I Can Read! Made By God books for review (August 2010 releases).*

Other I CAN READ! Made By God titles to look forward to in March 2011 are:

To find out more information on the I Can Read Book series, head on over to ZonderKidz.com and also www.ICanRead.com for more information on the purpose behind the system.

Additional I Can Read books are available through HarperCollins…

Create lifelong readers with I Can Read!

I Can Read! has become the number one beginning reader series in the country, featuring more award-winning titles, authors, and illustrators than any other beginning reader series. One of a child’s proudest achievements is learning how to read. In this section, you will find some great information to help you get started fostering a love of reading in your child.

• Choosing a just right book is like the Three Little Bears story—what’s just right for one child isn’t just right for another. Books may be too hard, too easy, or just right! Discover how to find the just right book for your child!
• It’s never too early to start reading aloud. Infants learn the sounds, rhythms, and patterns of language as they sit on your lap, listening to your voice and watching your expressions. Discover more tips and tricks to get your kids reading!
• Remember that your kids are watching. Are you reading? Kids will follow your example if you are enthusiastic about reading. Some of the most powerful ways to motivate a child who isn’t reading yet is to lead by example. Find more suggestions for reading help at home.

Register today to become an I Can Read! Member and receive a FREE I Can Read! Fan Club Membership Kit! You can also sign up to receive targeted I Can Read! newsletters with information geared toward your child’s reading level. Learn more about I Can Read! Member benefits!

We are definitely going to have to go and get some My First Shared Readings as we are just starting to share books with each other, after all AppleBlossom will sit still for about five minutes at a time….