BOB Books, Yes or No?

A friend sent me a message telling me how her 4 year old son LOVES reading BOB books. I told her that was awesome!!!  She told me she would send some my way for T. I, of course, said SURE! We would gladly take them for when he gets to that place in reading. Then it happened....

"Oh" (voice filled with sadness and concern) "T isn't reading yet?" 

No, T is not reading Shakespeare, Junie B, or even the beloved Dr. Seuss. He can sound out cvc words, read environmental print, read his name, and knows all of his letters and most sounds. So, yes, T is reading....just not BOB books.

I am not growing a phonics reader. I am growing a reader and right now, my reader LOVES to listens to stories, "read" them by himself, and make up his own stories. My reader wants to talk about characters and act out parts he loves and find words he knows in the books he loves. He devours books! He loves story time! He loves his books!

No, I am not anti-BOB. In fact, I'm a fab. I use them in my classroom and have for years. But I have taught Kindergarten and 1st grade. My son just turned 4. FoUr! 

No, we are not doing sight word flashcards either. We are not doing sound card drills. We are not writing our ABC's on lined paper 3 times a week. We are not and are not planning on it. 

We are reading and we are playing. 

YES, we are reading to him everyday. We are reading with him. We are listening to him read and tell us his stories. We are talking about what we read. We are increasing his vocabulary, love of literature, awareness of rhyme and rhythm, and so on and so on.

Not right or wrong, just who we and what we want for our little reader, yes, READER!