I still love 100 Easy Lessons for teaching reading. When it comes to homeschooling, the most common concerns and questions are usually about teaching our children to read. Personally, I’ve had great success with 100 Easy Lessons.
I have even heard desperate mothers suggest that they’re only going to send their children to school until they can read and then they’ll bring the home to school. It is a valid fear…what if the child never learns to read? It is the foundation of all learning. Fear not – 100 Easy Lessons is made for PARENTS.
Reading in 100 Easy Lessons
I have taught 3 of my 4 children to read with a book that cost me a mere $20. Sure I’ve dabbled with other programs but I always come back to Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons . It is simply the easiest and most effective way to teach a child to read phonetically, that I have seen in nearly 2 decades.
Teaching Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons is a modification and extension of DISTAR® (Direct Instruction System for Teaching, Achievement and Remediation). The book offers a firm foundation in phonics and can be started when ever a child shows an interest in reading as well as with a child that is struggling in other reading programs.
Why I Still Love 100 Easy Lessons
1. It is inexpensive. I bought the book at Barnes & Noble years ago and paid a mere $20 and Amazon.com sells it for 
$13.49 now. There are few curriculum for any subject that you’ll find for less than $20.
2. The book tells you exactly what to say during the lesson. You don’t need to be a phonics genius to use this book but you’ll look like you are! What you need to say to the child is clearly stated in red. So start-up is easy peasy 1…2…3…GO!
3. No extras needed. The only thing you’ll need is a piece of paper and a pencil to practice handwriting. You can skip the handwriting suggestions in the book and simply use your own workbook if you prefer. BUT the handwriting does reinforce the reading sounds you’ve done that day.
4. The lessons build upon each other gradually moving the student into larger words and stories. Sometimes the simple flow of this book amazes me. But each lesson really is a step up in the staircase that leads to a fully competent reader with a depth of comprehension.
5. Confidence is built quickly! Kids will be so excited to read their first “story” in lesson 13. The stories start with one sentence but build quickly into full paragraphs.
6. It isn’t just phonics. This program also works on comprehension. As stories become longer the parent/teacher is prompted to ask questions to engage the child in the words they are reading. Simply brilliant.
7. Lots of review. Sounds are repeated throughout the books to review and reemphasize them.
8. It is just me and my kiddo. We can do this program anywhere…curled up on the couch together, in a doctor’s waiting room, at the dining room table, at Chick fil A before we play (yes I’ve done all of those!). Because all you need is the book to go through the lessons, it really can be done anywhere.
9. It is challenging. The first 50 lessons are slower building, and easier. The harder work starts around lesson 50 but the challenge is good and the kids will be better readers for it. I find the kids feel “the heat” until lesson 70 and then that 2nd wind kicks in and they run into the finish line like champs!
10. Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons can be used over and over again. My book has been used, lent out, used again and I doubt it will end with my 8 year old.
Bonus – Take as long as you need. Take a break when you need to or your child does and pick it back up. This is “the year” it has really clicked for my 2nd grader and we went back to the beginning again this year. Flexibility is a beautiful thing.
Over the years the only complaint I’ve heard from parents is that the book was boring. Yeah, there are no songs to sing or hand puppets or funny phonetically named letter characters – hey if you want to spend 2 hours playing magical phonics land with your kids…more power to ya. I wanted to give them a solid foundation in the easiest & effective way possible. The READING is where the fun begins!
