Catholic Summer Reading Program for Children and Adults

Looking for a Summer reading program? Check out http://www.CatholicSummerReading.com/.

This summer, why not take some time to discover the rich treasure of Catholic literature?

Aquinas and More Catholic Goods, the official sponsor of the Catholic summer reading program, would like to invite you to join in a book discussion at your parish, local Catholic store or online at CatholicBookDiscussion.com. Kids can also get involved by downloading our Catholic Kids Reading Path and filling it in as they read Catholic books during the summer.

H/t: Oremus

Review: Phonics Pathways: Clear Steps to Easy Reading and Perfect Spelling, 9th Edition

Author: Dolores G. Hiskes
Copyright: 2005
Publisher: Jossey-Bass
Binding: glued soft-cover
Number of Pages: 266

Review by Jeff Vehige

I picked up Phonics Pathway because the Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer recommended it in the first edition of The Well-Trained Mind. When I mentioned to a friend that I had bought this book, she wrinkled her nose and said, “Let me know what you think,” implying, of course, that I probably wouldn’t think much of it. Nothing could be further from the truth. I love Phonics Pathways.

Ms. Hiskes presents a systematic approach to teaching phonics. The first five lessons” focus on short-vowel sounds; then the program moves to two-letter blends using the short-vowel sound, blends such as “ma,” “me,” “mi,” “mo,” and “mu.” At first, this confused me since the letter combination of “m-e” is really a word that uses the long “e” sound. The same is true with these combinations: “s-o,” “n-o,” “h-e,” etc. My first time through the book I didn’t understand Ms. Hiskes’ method, but I decided to trust her; the book was in its 9th edition, after all, and the Wise ladies had recommended it. It turns out that Ms. Hiskes knows what she’s doing. Once a child masters making two-letter short-vowel blends, the child moves on to three-letter short-vowel words—words such as “men,” “son,” “not,” and “hen.” Thus, the second step that may seems so strange is essential to getting kids ready for three-letter words.

For the next 100 pages or so, Phonics Pathways focuses on short-vowel mastery by teaching children words with basic twin-consonant endings (-ch, -th, -sh, etc.). Then around page 100, the long-vowel sound is introduced by using the “magic e” or “silent e” rule that you find in words such as “cane,” “Pete,” “hide,” “note,” and “tune.” My son had some difficulty with the transition from short-vowel to long-vowel, but after some time he got it.

The next 60 pages or so focuses on various beginning and ending sounds. The twin-consonant endings that were taught in the first half of the book are now taught as beginning sounds (ch-, th-, sh-, etc.), and endings such as “-ing,” -ang,” “-ed,” “-er,” are formally introduced.

Unfortunately, after page 160, I found the book to become almost useless as a daily program. Every sound in the English language is covered, and some sounds are so rare that it’s easier to teach them as they turn up in your child’s reading. For example, it’s important for a child to know that the “eigh” combination makes the long-a sound, but I found it was easier for my son to remember this rule once he encountered words such as “eight” and “weight” in his own reading.

Another problem with the Phonics Pathways—and this was my friend’s problem, the reason why she wrinkled her nose when I mentioned it—is that Ms. Hiskes provides little help in terms of games and activities. You’re pretty much left on your own here. (I should mention here that the text is black-and-white, which I like because it means there’s nothing to distract kids from focusing on reading.) However, I didn’t necessarily find the dearth of activities (or the B&W text) to be a problem—but that probably has to do with my own Spartan-like pedagogical methods than anything else.

A third problem with the book is that Ms. Hiskes refuses to teach sight words. This is easily remedied if, once your child starts learning the long-vowel sounds, you bring the Dolch List into your phonics/reading curriculum. That’s what I did, and by the time we hit page 160 in Phonics Pathways and had worked our way through the Dolch List, my oldest was reading at a solid 2nd-grade level.

Despite these “quibbles,” the program works. My oldest is 7-1/2-yrs. old and he reads fluently books like The Magic Tree House, A to Z Mysteries, and The Boxcar Kids, and he can comprehend enough in books like Famous Men of Greece and The Aeneid for Boys and Girls that he’s able to talk about them intelligently and answer general questions. And my daughter, who almost 5, is 40 pages into the book (three-letter words), seems to enjoy it, and is progressing faster than I’d anticipated. I highly recommend this book.

Reading Lists

Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to the reading lists so far! I'll be printed these out to get them organized and sorted out on an upcoming road trip. Keep the suggestions coming!

Reading List - Asia

This is another brand new list - we need suggestions to get things moving. :)

General Resources

The Silk Route: 7000 Years of History by John Major

China

The Empty Pot by Demi
The Five Chinese Brothers
The Great Wall by Elizabeth Mann
Growing Up in Ancient China by Ken Teague
The House of Sixty Fathers by Meindert
Ming Lo Moves the Mountain
The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack and Kurt Wiese
Tikki-Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel
What's in a Chinese Character? by Tan Huay Peng

India

Saint Francis of the Seven Seas

Japan

Count Your Way Through Japan by James Haskins
Hokusai: The Man Who Painted a Mountain by Deborah Kogan Ray
Japanese Fairy Tales (Japan)
Movies: Ikiru and others by Akira Kurosawa

Korea

Malaysia

Mongolia

Nepal

Taiwan

Thailand

Anna and the King (movie - high school/adult)

Tibet

Seven Years in Tibet (movie - high school)

Reading List - Central and South America

This is a brand-new list (don't even have all the countries listed yet), so I'm depending on all of you to help fill in the blanks. I appreciate all the enthusiasm for contributing to these lists - it does seem like a good time of year to do some clean-up and planning.

Central America/Caribbean:

Bahamas

Costa Rica

The Umbrella by Jan Brett

Cuba

Dominican Republic

El Salvador

Haiti

Honduras

Jamaica

Nicaragua

Panama

South America:

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

Jaguar by Roland Smith

Chile

Colombia

Paraguay

Peru

Saint Francis Solano: Wonder-Worker of the New World and Apostle of Argentina and Peru by Mary Fabyan Windeatt
Saint John Masias: Marvelous Dominican Gatekeeper of Lima, Peru by Mary Fabyan Windeatt
The Secret of the Andes by Ann Nolan Clark
Secrets of Lost Empires: Inca (NOVA-DVD)

Uruguay

Venezuela

Reading List of Mexico

Picture Books:

Count Your Way Through Mexico by Jim Haskins
The Lady of Guadalupe by Tomie de Paola
The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie de Paola
The Night of Las Posadas by Tomie de Paola

Grade School:

Jose Finds the King: A Blessed Miguel Pro Story by Ann Ball
Miracle in Mexico: The Story of Juan Diego by Lon Tinkle
Nacar, The White Deer by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino

High School or Adult:

Blessed Miguel Pro by Ann Ball
My Heart Lies South: The Story of My Mexican Marriage by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino
The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene (best for older teens and adults)

Please share your own suggestions in the comment box.

Children's Reading List of Europe by Country

This is a very incomplete list I compiled a few years ago. Please add suggestions in the comment box - I'll be adding some more of my own over time as well. It's rather shocking to ME that I don't have any titles for Greece (now corrected) or Portugal yet. LOL I also know that I don't have all of the countries listed yet. I'll add more countries as I add more books.

Austria

The Story of the Trapp Family Sings by Maria Augusta Trapp
The Two Trumpeters of Vienna by Hertha Pauli
The World of the Trapp Family by William T. Anderson

Denmark

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

France

Cathedral by David Macaulay
The Clown of God by Tomie de Paola
Joan of Arc by Mark Twain
The Little Duke by Charlotte Yonge
Marguerite Makes a Book
The Red Keep by Allen French
Saint Joan: Girl Soldier by Louis de Wohl
Saint Therese and the Roses by Helen Walker Homan
The Song at the Scaffold by Gertrud von Le Fort (high school)
That Girl of Pierre's
Twenty and Ten by Claire Huchet Bishop
Vincent de Paul: Saint of Charity by Margaret Ann Hubbard (Vision Series)

Germany

The Shadow of His Wings by Fr. Gereon Goldmann (high school)
The Story of Pope Benedict XVI for Young People
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr

Greece

Black Ships Before Troy and the Wanderings of Odysseus by Rosemary Sutcliff
D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths
Stories from Herodotus by Glanville Downey
The Story of the Greeks by H.A. Guerber
String Straightedge and Shadow: The Story of Geometry by Julia Diggins
The Tale of Troy by Roger Lancelyn Green
Tales of the Greek Heroes by Roger Lancelyn Green
Homer's Iliad and Odyssey (high school)

Hungary

The Good Master and The Singing Tree by Kate Seredy
Philomena by Kate Seredy
Saint Elizabeth's Three Crowns by Blanche Jennings Thompson

Ireland

Celtic Heritage Saints by Marian Keaney
The Cottage at Bantry Bay Series by Hilda Van Stockum
Fingal's Quest by Madeleine Polland
The King of Ireland's Son by Padraic Colum
Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie de Paola
Red Hugh, Prince of Donegal by Robert T. Reilly

Italy

Francis and Clare: Saints of Assisi by Helen Walker Homan
Francis: The Poor Man of Assisi by Tomie de Paola
He Went with Marco Polo by Louise Andrews Kent
Helena by Evelyn Waugh (High School)
The Holy Twins: Benedict and Scholastica by Kathleen Norris
North to Freedom by Ann Holm
Saint Benedict: Hero of the Hills by Mary Fabyan Windeatt (Vision Series)
Saint John Bosco and Saint Dominic Savio by Catherine Beebe
Saint Pius X: The Farm Boy Who Became Pope by Walter Diethelm
Saint Thomas Aquinas and the Preaching Beggars by by Brendan Larnen, O.P. and Milton Lomask (Vision Series - Out of Print - also Germany and France)
The Small War of Sergeant Donkey by Maureen Daly
The Way of the Cross: A Story of Padre Pio by Claire Jordan Mohan

Luxembourg

The Weight of a Mass: A Tale of Faith by Josephine Nobisso

The Netherlands

A Day on Skates: The Story of a Dutch Picnic by Hilda Van Stockum
Andries by Hilda Van Stockum
The Borrowed House by Hilda Van Stockum (high school)
The Diary of Anne Frank (high school)
Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates by Mary Mapes Dodge
The Greatest Skating Race: A World War II Story from the Netherlands by Louise Borden
The Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong
The Winged Watchman by Hilda Van Stockum

Norway

Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan

Poland

The Cats of Krasinski Square by Karen Hesse
Escape from Warsaw by Ian Serralier
Helen's Special Picture: A Children's Story of Sister Faustina by David Prevatelli
Saint Hyacinth of Poland by Mary Fabyan Windeatt
St. Maximillian Kolbe: The Story of Two Crowns by Claire Jordan Mohan
The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric Kelly
The Young Life of Pope John Paul II by Claire Jordan Mohan
The Young Life of Sister Faustina by Claire Jordan Mohan

Portugal

Our Lady Came to Fatima
Saint Anthony and the Christ Child

Spain

The Flying Ensign, Green Coats Against Napoleon by Showell Styles
I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton De Trevino
Isabella of Spain by William Thomas Walsh (high school)
Saint Ignatius and the Company of Jesus by August Derleth

United Kingdom

England

Augustine Came to Kent by Barbara Willard
The Ballad of the White Horse by G.K. Chesterton (high school)
The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli
Edmund Campion, Hero of God's Underground by Harold P. Gardiner
Enemy Brothers by Constance Savery
Father Brown Mysteries by G.K. Chesterton
The Hidden Treasure of Glaston by Eleanore Jewett
If All the Swords in England by Barbara Willard
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Midshipman Quinn Collection by Showell Styles (also France and various parts of the Mediterranean)
Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot
Pride and Prejudice and others by Jane Austen (high school)
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Saint Edmund Campion by Evelyn Waugh (high school)
Saint Thomas More of London by Elizabeth Ince

Scotland

"The Martha Years" Little House Books by Melissa Wiley
The Outlaws of Ravenhurst by Sister M. Imelda Wallace

Reading List for Canada

See previous post for details on how we're compiling these lists. Please add your own suggestions in the comments box.

British Columbia

Mary of Mile 18 by Ann Blades

I Heard the Owl Call my Name by Margaret Craven

Alberta

Mrs. Mike by Benedict and Nancy Freedman

Saskatchewan

Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat

Manitoba


Ontario

Paddle to the Sea by Holling Clancy Holling

Underground to Canada by Barbara Smucker

Olden Day Coat, Lawrence

One Hundred Shining Candles by Janet Lunn

Quebec

Blessed Marie of New France: The Story of the First Missionary Sisters in Canada by Mary Fabyan Windeatt

Canadian Summer by Hilda Van Stockum

Friendly Gables by Hilda Van Stockum

The Hockey Sweater by Roch Carrier

The King's Daughter by Suzanne Martel

Madeline Takes Command

Maria Chapdelaine by Louis Hemon

Kateri Tekakwitha (Vision) (also New York State)

With Pipe, Paddle and Song by Elizabeth Yates

Newfoundland


New Brunswick

Charlotte by Janet Lunn

Nova Scotia


Prince Edward Island

Anne of Green Gables Series by L.M. Montgomery

Evangeline

Yukon Territory


Northwest Territory

Dangerous River by R. Patterson


Nunavut

State-by-State Reading List

This list covers a wide variety of ages and genres. All were recommended by Catholic homeschoolers, but parents should be aware that there are different opinions regarding the choosing of books within the Catholic homeschool world. Please help us fill in the gaps by sharing additional suggestions in the comment box.

Alabama

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (high school)

Alaska

Balto, the Bravest Dog Ever

The Call of the Wild by Jack London (also Canada)

This Old House by Joanne Wild

Water Sky by Jean Craighead George


Arizona

Brighty of the Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry

We Live in the Southwest by Lois Lenski


Arkansas

Cotton in My Sack by Lois Lenski


California

By the Great Horn Spoon by Paul Fleischman

The Red Pony by John Steinbeck

Mama's Bank Account by Kathryn Forbes

Vallejo and the Four Flags by Esther J. Comstock

Blue Willow by Doris Gates

Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say (picture book) also covers Japan

The Journal of Ben Uchida: Citizen 13559, Mirror Lake Internment Camp by Barry Denenberg

The Song of the Swallows by Leo Politi

Wait for Me, Life of Father Junipero Serra Sister Mary Helen Wallace, FSP

Westward the Bells (biography of Junipero Serra) Marion F. Sullivan

California Missions edited by Ralph B. Wright

The Decoration of the California Missions Norman Neuerburg

Saints of the California Missions by Norman Neuerburg

San Francisco Boy by Lois Lenski

Patty Reed's Doll by Rachel Laurgaard

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

The Story of The Pony Express by R. Conrad Stein

The Miner Was a Bishop The Pioneer Years of Patrick Manogue William Breault S.J.

Winter of Entrapment A New Look at the Donner Party Joseph A. King

Colorado

Beany Malone series by Lenora Mattingly Weber

Little Britches by Ralph Moody

The Home Ranch by Ralph Moody

Connecticut

26 Fairmount Avenue Series by Tomie de Paola

The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh

Flight into Spring by Bianca Bradbury

Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

Delaware


Florida

The Cross in the Sand by Michael Gannon

Secret Agents Four by Donald Sobol

Strawberry by Lois Lenski

The Yearling by Marjorie Rawlings


Georgia

The Hundred Penny Box by Sharon Bell Mathis

Hawaii

Father Damien and the Bells by Arthur and Elizabeth Sheehan

The Quiet Light: Mother Marianne of Molokai by Eva K. Betz (Catholic Treasury Series)


Idaho

Year Walk Ann Nolan Clark

Bonanza Girl Patricia Beatty

Louly Carol Ryrie Brink

Illinois

From Slave to Priest: A Biography of Reverend Augustine Tolton, First Black American Priest of the United States by Sister Caroline Hemesath (high school)
Molly American Girl Stories

Indiana

Turn Homeward, Hannalee Patricia Beatty (also Georgia )

Floating House Scott Sanders (also Ohio ) – picture book

Laddie, Freckles, Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Porter Stratton

Iowa


Kansas

Climbing Kansas Mountains by George Shannon (picture book)

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Kentucky

The Happy Little Family and the rest of the Fairchild Family Series by Rebecca Caudill

Louisiana

Bayou Suzette by Lois Lenski

The Louisiana Purchase (Landmark)

Mother Cabrini: Missionary to the World by Frances Parkinson Keyes

Maine

Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey

Calico Bush by Rachel Field

One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey

The Secret of Pooduck Island by Alfred Noyes

The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare

Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey

The Sea Chest by Toni Buzzeo

L is for Lobster by Cynthia Furlong Reynolds

Keep the Lights Burning Abbie by Peter Roop and Connie Roop

Birdie's Lighthouse by Deborah Hopkinson

Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney

Island Boy by Barbara Cooney

A Penny for a Hundred Ethel Pochocki

Maryland

Charles Carroll and the American Revolution by Milton Lomask

Mother Seton and the Sisters of Charity (Vision)

The Story of the Star Spangled Banner, (Cornerstones of Freedom) by
Natalie Miller

Kate Finds A Friend, a Mother Seton Story by Joan Stromberg

Captain Kate by Carolyn Reeder

Massachusetts

Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates (also New Hampshire)

And then What Happened, Paul Revere? by Jean Fritz

Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

The Wild Horses of Sweetbriar by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock

Invincible Louisa by Cornelia Meigs

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Puritan Adventure by Lois Lenski

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch Jean Lee Latham

Downright Dency Caroline Snedeker

"The Charlotte Years" Little House Books by Melissa Wiley

Michigan

Thomas Edison: Young Inventor by Sue Guthridge (CFA)

We Live in the North by Lois Lenski

Minnesota

Betsy-Tacy Series by Maud Hart Lovelace

Kirsten American Girl Stories

On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Mississippi

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry Mildred D. Taylor

Let the Circle be Unbroken Mildred D. Taylor

Missouri

Katie John Series by Mary Calhoun

Little House on Rocky Ridge by Roger Lea MacBride

Little Farm in the Ozarks by Roger Lea MacBride

In the Land of the Big Red Apple by Roger Lea MacBride

Montana

San Domingo: the Medicine Hat Stallion Marguerite Henry

To Yellowstone : A Journey Home Robert McKinnon

Nebraska

A Lantern in Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich

Nevada

Mustang, Wild Spirit of the West by Marguerite Henry

New Hampshire

The Devil and Daniel Webster by Stephen Vincent Benet

George the Drummer Boy by Nathaniel Benchley

The Great Stone Face by Nathaniel Hawthorne

New Jersey

Cheaper by the Dozen by Gilbreth

The Edison Mystery by Dan Gutman

Time Enough for Drums by Ann Rinaldi

The Story of Baseball by Lawrence A. Ritter

Abigail Takes the Wheel by Avi

The First Air Voyage in the United States: the story of Jean Pierre Blauchard by Alexandra Wallner

New Jersey Timeline: a chronology by Marsh

Priest on Horseback by Eva K Betz

Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the U.S. by Collen

The Village: Life in Colonial Times by Knight

New Mexico

Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather (high school)

Josefina American Girl Stories

Tree in the Trail by Holling Clancy Holling

We Live in the Southwest by Lois Lenski

New York

Bully for You, Teddy Roosevelt by Jean Fritz

The Deerslayer by James Fenimore Cooper

Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder

High-Rise Secret by Lois Lenski

Karen by Marie Killilea

St. Isaac and the Indians

The Moffats by Eleanor Estes

New York City

The Copper Lady by Alice Rosee and Kent Ross

Lou Gehrig: One of Baseball's Greatest by Guernsey Van Riper

The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright

In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord

All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge by Hildegard H. Swift and
Lynd Ward (picture book)

Samantha American Girl Stories

Shadow of the Bear and Black as Night by Regina Doman

The Story of the Statue of Liberty (Cornerstones of Freedom Series)

Lily and Miss Liberty

The Orphans Find a Home: A St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Story by Joan Stromberg

A Cricket in Times' Square

North Carolina

Blue Ridge Billy by Lois Lenski

They Loved to Laugh Kathryn Worth

North Dakota


Ohio

Homer Price and Centerberg Tales by Robert McCloskey

Kit American Girl Stories

Lentil by Robert McCloskey (picture book)

Oklahoma

Boom Town Boy by Lois Lenski

Where the Red Fern Grows Wilson Rawls

Oregon

Emily's Runaway Imagination by Beverly Cleary

To Be a Logger by Lois Lenski

Year of the Black Pony

Pennsylvania

Addy American Girl Stories

The Amazing Life of Benjamin Franklin by James Cross Giblin

The Battle of Gettysburg by Bruce Catton

Ben Franklin of Old Philadelphia (Landmark).

Brady by Jean Fritz

The Cabin Faced West by Jean Fritz

Gettysburg by MacKinlay Kantor

Katie: The Young Life of St. Katherine Drexel by Claire Mohun Jordan

Killer Angels by Michael Shaara (high school)

The Many Lives of Benjamin Franklin by Mary Pope Osborne

Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorenson

A Picture Book of Benjamin Franklin by David A. Adler

The Riddle of Penncroft Farm by Dorothea Jensen

Shh! We're Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz

Shoo-fly Girl by Lois Lenski

Silver for General Washington by Enid Lamonte Meadowcroft

The Skippack School by Marguerite de Angeli

The Story of the Declaration of Independence by N. Richards

The Story of William Pennby Aliki

Thee Hannah! by Marguerite de Angeli

Thunder at Gettysburg by Patricia Gauch

What’s the Big Idea, Ben Franklin? by Jean Fritz

The Winter at Valley Forge by VanWyck Mason

Rhode Island

South Carolina

The Swamp Fox of the Revolution by Stewart H. Holbrook (Landmark)

South Dakota

Prairie School by Lois Lenski

Little Sioux Girl by Lois Lenski

By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Old Sam: Dakota Trotter by Don Alonzo Taylor

These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Tennessee

Daniel's Duck by Clyde Robert Bulla (easy reader)

The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills

White Bird by Clyde Robert Bulla

Texas

Old Yeller by Fred Gipson

Savage Sam by Fred Gipson

Texas Tomboy by Lois Lenski

Wilderness Pioneer by Carol Hoff

The Wind Blows Free

Utah

The Great Brain by John Fitzgerald

Vermont

Justin Morgan Had a Horse by Marguerite Henry

The Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp

Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher

Virginia

Felicity American Girl Stories

George Washington by Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire

The Story of George Washington

Misty by Marguerite Henry

Sea Star, Orphan of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry

Washington State

Young Mac of Fort Vancouver by Mary Jane Carr

Washington D.C.

The Mitchells: Five for Victory by Hilda Van Stockum

West Virginia

The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills (picture book)

Coal Camp Girl by Lois Lenski

When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant (picture book)

Wisconsin

First Farm in the Valley: Anna's Story by Anne Pellowski and others in the Polish American Girls Series

Caddie Woodlawn and Magical Melons by Carol Ryrie Brink

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Rascal by Sterling North

Father Marquette and the Great Rivers by August Derleth (also Illinois, Michigan et al.)

Wyoming

My Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara

Pre-Reading Skills

This is a very old page from love2learn.net for working with preschoolers based on some Montessori ideas. I'm bumping it here for now until I figure out what I can put where when we get our new automated system up and running. It may need some editing too...

When preparing their preschool age children for later reading, parents usually think of teaching them their ABCs. Inadequate development in other areas can make learning to read much more difficult. Rather than starting in on formal school too early, try some of these suggestions to put your children on the right path early on....

1. Learning the Names of Things

Often before a child begins to talk, around the age of 18 months, they are working on mastering the language by recognizing words and associating them with appropriate people, places and things. While most of this learning can take place quite naturally and without much deliberation on the part of the parents, there are some activities which can enhance this learning. These activities will tend to be fun for little ones and they may enjoy having their own special "school time" each day.

Materials:

Any or all of the following three types of materials will be useful for this stage.

a) "small objects" - You can find many useful items around the house or at garage sales for this purpose. It should be fairly easy to collect a key, a button, a nail, a bead, small plastic animals and perhaps some dollhouse furniture. for this purpose.

b) flash cards - simple pictures, preferably photographs without excess background (which can be confusing and distracting) work quite well. The Dorling Kindersley flash cards are especially nice because they are simple photographs with a plain white background. Look for pictures of household items, people, animals, plants, buildings, etc. Magazine pictures attached to index cards (double-sided tape is best because it doesn't wrinkle the picture or the card) and covered with contact paper work quite well too.

c) Picture/Word Books - Books with simple pictures or photos of everyday objects (words a small child is likely to encounter) work quite well too. Some examples include Baby's Book of Animals (Dorling Kindersley), My First Word Book (Dorling Kindersley) and Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever.

Activity: This activity has three parts. There may be many months between the time you start the first part and the time your child is ready to participate in the third part. Part One: Begin by showing the child one picture at a time and saying the name. If they are able, you may encourage them to repeat the name after you. Part Two: Present several pictures to your child which are easy to distinguish from each other. Say the name of each one (if appropriate). Lay the pictures in a row (3 pictures in row is probably ideal, but you can also work with the pictures on a page of a book) and ask the child to point out a particular one - e.g. "Can you point to the cat?" or "Where is the cat?"Part Three: Show the picture to the child and ask them to identify it. (e.g. "What is this?")

Fine-Motor Skills:

The use of the hands for small, delicate tasks, is very important in developing the muscles and coordination necessary for writing. These skills are developing long before a child begins to write. Some activities that are helpful for this development include - drawing and coloring pictures, sorting small objects (such as beads), playing with Legos or building blocks, playing with puzzles (particularly those with small knobs to hold onto), cleaning household things, playing with playdough, etc.

Concentration/Attention Span:

There’s a lot of talk today about the evils of television/videos and computers for children. Most of this focuses on the overt evil present in all too many movies and computer games. It is well and good to avoid these problem areas, but I think it’s also important to consider what effect even GOOD movies, television shows and computer programs can have on our children, particularly when used in excess and at a very early age. Young children, particularly in the first five or six years of life, are busy developing the important little skills (such as concentration and attention span) that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. If they get in the habit of being entertained and educated mostly by very flashy, colorful, exciting shows and computer programs, it may be more difficult for them to concentrate on more "ordinary" tasks and may inhibit the development of their imagination. It might be a good rule of thumb to balance the amount of time spent on things. One way to look at it would be to sort a child’s ordinary activities into several categories such as:

1. Television, Movies, Computer Games, etc.

2. Listening to Stories (read aloud or on audio tape), coloring pictures, singing with or dancing to music tapes, etc.

Wouldn’t it be better if a child spent more time on activities in the second category each day than those in the first category? Television and computers are not NECESSARY parts of learning (particularly in the early years), so I believe it would be better to do without them entirely than to allow them to inhibit a child’s learning by excessive use.

Reading Comprehension:

Children understand words by having lots of experience with them. Reading aloud to your children, on a regular basis, is probably the best thing you can do to prepare them to read. It will help them to develop a love for and an interest in books. This tends to instill a desire to learn how to read. (What a great start this is for the homeschooling years!) Also, having some practice in understanding words, developing their vocabulary and hearing how proper sentences are put together will all make the task of learning to read easier.

"Learning Their Letters":

There’s a common belief that teaching a child the names of the letters of the alphabet is the beginning of teaching them how to read. Actually it is the sounds that the letters make, and not their names, that are the beginning of reading. The names of the letters are useful for talking about letters and putting things in alphabetical order but do not help with actual reading. It’s great to be proud of your two or three year old being able to say their "ABCs", but it might be more useful to help them connect the appropriate sound(s) with each letter before adding the complication of each letter’s name.

Learning About Words:

An important step in the process of learning to read is recognizing that words are made up of sounds. Playing games that involve identifying the first sound in a word will help to master this concept. We use home-made sandpaper letters to learn the sounds of letters in conjunction with writing them. Our children have enjoyed games involving matching small objects with the sandpaper letter corresponding to the first sound of the word. (see photo at top of page)

Nice Materials for Preschool:

The Red Letter Alphabet Book by Ellen C. Gould
1983, Montessori Services, 56 pages, comb-bound

A very nicely, simply illustrated book that makes the Montessori idea of tracing large textured letters (after the fashion of the classic sandpaper letters) affordable and simplified for home use.The purpose of tracing letters that a child can feel is to encourage fine motor skills in preparation for writing and introduce letters in a multi-sensory way (which more thoroughly involves the child in the learning process and is especially helpful for children with learning disabilities - most obviously for those without the use of one of their senses). This concept (of multi-sensory learning) is highly recommended by Maria Montessori, Romalda Spalding (author of the Writing Road to Reading) and many other fine educators.The large letter on each 2-page spread has a soft red felt-like flocking which is probably more enjoyable for young fingers than the scratchy sandpaper alternatives (such as our old rough home-made ones). The facing page has three classic black-and-white illustrations with a word describing the picture (with the featured letter printed in red). For example, the "k" page has the words basket, king and sink (with corresponding illustrations) with each occurrence of the letter "k" printed in red. The back of the book contains suggestions for how to use the book.

Reviewed by Alicia Van Hecke (4-18-01)
Available from Montessori Services

Review: Little Stories for Little Folks

Little Stories for Little Folks: Catholic Phonics Readers by Nancy Nicholson

Third Edition 2004, Catholic Heritage Curricula. $26.95. Pre-K through 1st grade: 4 levels, 45 stories to fold into booklets, bound Parents' Guide, Silly Willy Sentences activity, and Catholic flashcards on stiff cardstock.
Reviewed by Ana Braga-Henebry, M.A.

Our third child, now a deep voiced high schooler towering me by several inches, learned to read with me when he was five years old using these little folding readers. This new edition has a new cover and some additional materials, but the readers themselves are the very same I used ten years ago! He looked at these the other day and could remember many of the stories.

The bulk of this program consists of four levels of readers that we tear out and fold in four. I made color coded envelopes out of construction paper ten years ago, the same envelope I am using with our youngest this year. I tucked the envelopes in a pocket folder, and as we folded and read each little book, it was neatly stored.

The little books follow a simple sequence of phonetic sounds, beginning with the "short a" in the first title At Mass. What we like about these is the fact that we begin from day one reading a little story. None of my children enjoyed very much reading pages of words in other readers. These have a few new words displayed on the little book's cover, but each little book is one independent whole story. These mini-stories are delightfully Catholic, and succeed in being at the same time funny and suspenseful enough!

This latest edition has a nice new glossy cover and several cardstock pages with phonics strips and illustrated phonetic sound cards to cut. Silly Willy Sentences strip are also included, introducing basic syntax concepts. A separate Parent's guide booklet is included, with simple guidelines for teaching to read with this program, and booklet-by-booklet directions for introducing the new sounds and words.

Available from Catholic Heritage Curricula

From the author: "Teaching word families is probably the most gratifying way for a child to quickly discover that there are patterns to words and that they can read a LOT of words even when they are just beginning. Nothing breeds success like success! Drill, with the exception of flashcards in the pre-reading stage, can seem so pointless and dry to the child that it is almost self-defeating. They want to READ! The best way to practice sounds is within words within sentences within interesting, short stories!"

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