Dear Parents,

As a teacher for twelve years and a Reading Recovery teacher for five of those years, I know how important learning to read is in your child’s life. Many parents ask the question: “How can I help?” The Step into Reading program is the answer. This program is designed so that parents can support the teacher and the reading lessons their child receives at school. Each step has grade and skill guidelines so that you can easily pick appropriate books for your child, helping to gradually give your child more challenging selections as they gain more skills. Unlike other beginning reader series, Step into Reading offers a variety of subjects, including nonfiction titles that fit directly into the curriculum, offering a way to integrate reading with science, social studies, and even math. The Step into Reading line also offers text with lovable popular characters such as Winnie the Pooh and Cinderella, to make even your reluctant readers more excited about reading.

We all know that reading should be an enjoyable experience. With engaging topics and fun characters, reading to and with your child will not only demonstrate what “good reading” should sound like, but will encourage your child to be a lifelong reader. I am sure you will find the Step into Reading program a wonderful tool to help your child during this exciting time as they are learning to read.

Sincerely,

Denise Barbazette
Reading Recovery Certified
First-Grade Teacher
Manassas, Virginia

More Testimonials…

From Educators

“The Step into Reading books are colorful and bright, with humorous illustrations that hold the interest of even our most primary students. The books are perfect for our second language learners who because of age need high interest books with controlled lower level vocabulary that look like “real books” not “baby books.”—Susan Banning, Assistant Principal

“As a busy first-year teacher, Step into Reading has been a lifesaver. It has allowed me to find high-interest quality books for a variety of reading levels”—Andrew Paskal, 3rd grade teacher

“The Step into Reading series makes integrating reading into the curriculum so much easier. The nonfiction titles are perfect for teaching reading and language arts skills, while covering science and social studies content simultaneously!”—Lisa Laake, 2nd grade Language Arts teacher

“The Step into Reading Step 3 and 4 books are perfect for the struggling 5th grade readers. It gives them the same content on their own reading levels.”—Brenda Haverty, 5th Grade Language Arts and Social Studies teacher

“The students love the Step into Reading + Math titles. The books are quick reads and give background they would not normally receive. I hope there are more added!”—Dana Hahn, 5th Grade Math and Science teacher

“Since I teach ESL, I use Step into Reading titles to introduce several of my major units. It evens the playing field by giving the entire class much of the information they need to know to understand a topic on which they might not have prior knowledge. Three of our favorites are Christopher Columbus; The Titanic: Lost and Found; and The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto.”—Mark Fischer, 3rd Grade ESL Language Arts and Social Studies teacher

From Booksellers

“One of the first beginning reading series to include non-fiction, Step into Reading continues to appeal to children, teachers, and parents as together they discover the joys of learning to read.”—Beth Puffer, Manager/Buyer, Bank St. Bookstore NYC

“Step into Reading has a great variety of subjects and they’re true to their level—something parents really appreciate!”—Hannah Schwartz, Owner, Children’s Book World, Haverford, PA

“Step into Reading is a success-based program for the child—and they’re beautifully designed.”—Chauni Hasler, Owner, SU for Kids Bookstore, Seattle, WA

Send us your Step into Reading Success Stories at teachers@randomhouse.com. We would love to hear from you.