Teach Your Child How to Read in One Hundred Easy Lessons Book Review

As I sat at the dining room table of a new mom friend’s house, three kids deep into parenting, I asked which curriculum she used to teach her kids to read. Her kids were older and always seemed to be carrying a book around, so whatever she was using seemed to have worked. She looked up sheepishly, took a moment to assess whether I was a safe person to share this information with - as if she was going to share a new angle on the death of Diana - and in whispered tones asked, “Have you heard of the book, Teach Your Child How to Read in One Hundred Easy Lessons?” I hadn’t, but whatever facial expression flashed across my face must have revealed I was a safe person to speak with. 

I was. This sounded exactly like the kind of book I was looking for. Teaching reading for me, it was just a means to an end. It was the necessary evil required before I could teach the subjects I enjoyed. Like British Comedian Sindu Vee says, the problem with small kids is that everything they know (or need to learn in this case) you already know. I knew how to read so I knew teaching reading would be a struggle for me. 

The mom reappeared at the table holding a worn-out book. It was indeed just called, “Teach Your Child How to Read in One Hundred Easy Lessons.” I was surprised by its bold claim as well as excited to learn that this could be a reality. Now five children deep and all well beyond the reading age, I can confirm that it works and you can teach your child how to read in one hundred lessons – some may even do it in fewer lessons. The word easy was doing some heavy lifting at times, depending on the day, or the child…or the mom's mood. With all my children, we have hit a wall somewhere between lessons 40 and 60. There were times when we had to put the book down for a while or go back a few lessons and repeat some days. As it happened, I would end up learning a lot about myself and my ability to be patient and wait for my children to be ready to learn. 

By the fourth read through, I won’t profess to enjoying the book. I was so tired of all the stories of goats, ants, and eagles and their poor life choices, but the book did work. Are there better options out there? Probably. I think Abeka and Hooked on Phonics offer a more in-depth program that some children may need, which many parents have found to be successful. However, for our family, this book was a good option. Today, all my children read well and have a passion for learning. The book’s claim of taking just fifteen minutes per day was mostly true, and there were days when we could double up on the lessons. When I purchased the book years ago, it cost just $14.99. Since then, I have seen it at used bookstores many times for much less. I have even been given a copy for free. If budget is a concern for you, this book might be a good option to consider. 

Over the years, I have seen this same sheepish reaction appear again when I have spoken to other parents about their choice to use this book. It doesn’t contain any of the bells and whistles other programs use. There are no flashcards or online elements. There are no daily lesson plans. As the parent, you read the sections in red and the child contributes the other parts. It even has “well done” written in red as if a parent needs to be reminded to compliment their child’s accomplishments.  Perhaps at times this can make parents feel like they aren’t doing enough. For us, this book has done the job. It may not have been flashy, but it got us through a milestone that we needed to hit and helped us all to move on to the fun learning we are able to do today.