If you didn’t notice, yesterday was a Big Deal. My heart did a little dance. Years and years ago, I purposed to blog my way through teaching the Bob Books to my various students. Yesterday I posted my first lesson…for the last book in the Bob Books series!

That means that there is now at least one set of lessons for every single book in the series.

It took me three-and-a-half years. I really can’t believe I did it!

So, are we done?

Well, no.

Most children who get through the Bob Books series are still only beginning to flex their reading muscles. And, frankly, I’ve still been diligently recording my lessons. I’ve been behind in typing them up, so Daughter A., for example, has already gone on her 100 Books Trip with her father, and is able to read easy chapter books. Daughter Q. will be ready for her 100 Books Trip this autumn.

The question is really where I go from here in terms of how to continue teaching reading. Some children will take off on their own and hardly need a lesson–which is what my oldest child did–but my little girls still need daily, incremental coaching.

I still have tons and tons of lessons to post for both my girls. Daughter Q. has completed all of the Bob Books as well, but I’ve only typed up about 2/3 of my records.

After Bob Books, I move on to the Treadwell Readers. I’ve mentioned this before, and this is where the new, post-Bob-Books lessons will come from. I know a lot of people like to transition into the more modern Easy Readers. I use those for free reading. But for lessons, I prefer the structure of old-fashioned readers, which are designed to increase in difficulty, introduce all the phonics sounds, and also cultivate a love of good literature. These readers even incorporate poetry, which takes special skill and art to learn to read well.

I hope you all continue to join me as we progress through Bob Books and into the Treadwell Readers.