We have been using Bob Books for supplemental reading, along with our phonics text.
Sets 1 and 2 have been very helpful. They provide drill that doesn't seem like drill- fun text that my little one can enjoy reading and enjoy reading to others. The text is interesting, and the illustrations fun. She loves quoting "Rub-a-dub-dub, six cats in the tub!" They have really helped her get more proficient so she can move from sounding out basic cvc words to recognizing many of them by sight. And, she looks forward to reading them and volunteers to read more than I ask her to at reading time.
Set 3 moves ahead too quickly from the appropriately slow pace of 1 and 2. But that's okay -by the time a child reaches a set 3 reading level, there are a lot of options available, and Bob Books have done their job. Sets 1 and 2 are what you really want.
The "Sight Word" set is a real disappointment- teaching sight reading instead of phonics. I have no problem with sight reading of words which do not follow the rules of phonics. But the sight reading set teaches words that DO follow the rules, but uses sight reading methods to teach them. That set is one that I personally would avoid.
Recommendation: I really like Bob Books set 1 and 2. They are NOT a complete phonics course, but are a really great supplement (as I say, leisure reading : ) for whatever phonics text you use. The rest of the Bob Books sets I think would be less beneficial.
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