December 1, 2024
K-Gr 2-This set in the "Supersonic Phonics" series aims to help children practice phonemes through decodable stories, but it falls short in several areas. While each story has a phonetic focus, the story lines often feel forced and disjointed. For example, in The Lurking Turnips, the plot reveals that the protagonist is having a nightmare about everything turning into turnips, but the confusing visuals make it hard to follow, with similar-looking characters adding to the difficulty. Another story, Ow, Oi!, features a boy finding old socks that mysteriously say "ow" and "oi" when worn, leading to a strange sequence involving his family and a purple clown. The skill focus here is unclear, as the text combines vowel teams with short vowels, creating an inconsistent phonics progression. The Land in the Jar introduces the phonemes /igh/ and /ar/ which also feel poorly matched for practice together. The comprehension questions across the series are vague and don't effectively reinforce the content. Although teacher tips are included to guide reading, the odd plots, confusing illustrations, and scattered phoneme scope make it challenging for educators to use effectively. VERDICT This set could confuse rather than support young readers in their phonics development.
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