My first impression of this book was a favorable one based on its stunning, colorful cover and professional design. Then I began to explore the book's content. As a former creator of curriculum materials for this age group, I realized how much fun beginning readers would have with the cuddly character, Spot, leading the way through phonics, spelling, vocabulary, comprehension, rhyming words and the sometimes arduous task of following directions.

Spot is no pushover. He's fun to read about and his adventures are just right for coloring, but this cleverly designed "tool-kit" is really a Superior Practical Orderly Trusted Reading System that is the first book in a five-part Complete Mastery Learning System. I like the fact that parents can teach their children to read by using these practice-oriented materials at home. The techniques seem easy to use, and each builds skills that can be applied in many ways. This kind of approach reminds me of how we used to learn.

Inside the front cover of the book author Janice Myers explains how she created her program and used it successfully at her reading clinic in Spartanburg, SC. Dismayed that she could not locate books that provided reading practice and filled the gap between Kindergarten and First Grade, she " . . . began typing up sample chapters for [her] tutors to use with their students." She continues, "Even before the artist had the illustrations finished, my tutors were standing in line waiting for me to finish the next chapter so their students could read it that day."

I like Spot. I like "O" and feel that this letter and the other vowels in the upcoming books can help parents and teachers work with not only very young readers, but also older students who have not mastered reading skills for various reasons. Learning Disabled students should find the repetition used here helpful, for example, and even ESL (English as a Second Language) instructors might invite Spot into their classrooms. Perhaps the best use of Teach Your Child To Read is within the Homeschool program.