Read: Joy Cowley's Well-Being series (Review and giveaway!)

I've shared previously about how we were teaching Junior J to read. Back then he was already 5, and had started reading by sight. So I just taught him phonics to equip him to further, and we systematically read through all the levels of Bob Books. Since then, we've finished going through the phonics book as well as all the Bob Books, and have been reading all sort of readers in the afternoon. 

As such, I've been hunting for good readers to introduce to Junior J. For me, a good reader not only allows a child to practice reading and learn new words, but also should be interesting, and if possible, hold some content that allows for further discussion. (For more guidelines on accessing reading materials/programmes, do read this very through article.) I find there are lots of readers out in the market, but some are just simplified stories with little content, marketed to sell as readers. 

Anyway, we did manage to find some pretty good readers. Recently, we were also introduced to the Joy Cowley Well-Being series by Esther of Little Good Books. This series consists of three different sets of readers, which touch on various topics pertaining to physical, emotional and social well-being. We were sent the Social Well-Being series to review.

The topics covered in the Joy Cowley Well Being series.

I liked how various relevant topics were covered, from dealing with grief, to healthy eating and friendship. Each book uses simple language, and the text is clear and easy to read for emerging readers. After Junior J read each book to me, we would spend some time chatting about the topic, like about his friends, and about how we can help out at home. These books can be a springboard for further discussion. 

Another thing I liked was how the stories were set in a local context (but not entirely, as you'd see brass bands, and mainly houses rather than HDB flats), which makes it feel a little more relevant. 

More difficult words are also highlighted at the back of each book, along with a very simple suggested activity. 

As the stories are kept simple to make them suitable for teaching reading, don't expect very deep content. After all, these are not living books, but just readers. However, they are pretty good for emerging readers, and great for initiating discussions with your kids!

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Little Good Books is generously giving away a set of Joy Cowley's Emotional Well-Being series to one reader of this blog! To enter in the giveaway, just follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter widget below. Don't forget to include your name and email address in the comments section of this post!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: We received a set of the Social Well-Being series to review, and no monetary compensation was received. All opinions are my own.