I first got this from my library, and am ordering a copy to keep. I have been searching for a resource to help my boys, who both have language delays. My older boy has had huge struggles with reading, and I hope to make it easier for my younger son.

As a homeschooler, I have access to a wealth of phonics resources. Most are geared toward "average" kids, and move way too fast for my boys. Many are workbook-based, which is a poor fit for kids who hate to pick up a pencil, and for moms who would rather make learning more fun. Curricula designed for struggling readers are full of manipulatives I already own or can easily make, and cost hundreds of dollars.

The information in this book will allow me to tailor a course of study to my son's weaknesses and strengths, and ensure that I do not leave out critical steps.

I read this book as a parent trying to figure out where to start because I wanted to teach my child how to read. Blevins did a great job introducing ME to teaching phonics.

As a homeschooling parent, I feel like I am bombarded with kits and programs that guarantee to teach reading through phonics, but it seems like a lot of these are not very useful stuff marketed by people who seem a lot more attached to political ideologies rather than the mechanics of what works. By contrast, Blevins writes from the standpoint of an educator rather than an ideologue, which I appreciated.

I must admit, however, that I haven't come even close to following Blevins advice on teaching. It's much too obtuse for our purposes, which is learning to read, simply put.

This book is one of my most treasured resources - so much so that I keep one handy in my first grade classroom and another at home. If you are looking for a practical and highly informative book on teaching phonemic awareness and phonics - this is one of the very best. The author knows the subject well. He gets right to the point and organizes the information in a very useful format. To name just a bit of what this book contains: clear phonemic awareness scope and sequence, word family lists, essential teaching strategies, effective lesson formats, game ideas, pronunciation guides, phonetic word lists, definitions, assessment tools, etc. I give this book to friends, student teachers, new teachers, and also recommended it as a "must-have" in staff development courses I've taught.