I received a sample for this review/feature. Opinions expressed are my own.
Silver Dolphin Books, the publisher of high-quality, activity-based books for children aged 2-12, has partnered up for an exciting new series of educational books with the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum and research complex, and child literacy expert Dr. Adria Klein to create Smithsonian Readers. This series is designed to strengthen reading comprehension with structured levels that build upon previous skills, paired with informative content that will keep even the most reluctant readers engaged ? from outer space to dinosaurs to Ancient Egypt. This is the ULTIMATE BOOK SERIES for young readers that love everything to do with animals, the earth and science.
Smithsonian Readers: Early Adventures Level 1 is for ages 4 and up and helps to lay the groundwork with simple sentence structure and familiar content. The book is divided into six 32-page topics: Vehicles, Reptiles, Outer Space, Animal Habitats, Insects, and Safari Animals. Gorgeous, full-color photographs highlight concepts throughout the text, while multiple-choice quizzes emphasize comprehension. A glossary of terms and 36 illustrated fact cards inspire further exploration of young readers? favorite subjects.
- Basic factual texts with familiar themes and content
- Concepts in text are reinforced by photos
- Includes glossary to reinforce reading comprehension
- Phonic regularity
- Simple sentence structure and repeated sentence patterns
- Easy vocabulary familiar to kindergartners and first graders
Smithsonian Readers: Seriously Amazing Level 2 is for ages 5 and up and builds on the skills developed by the Level 1 reader by introducing varied sentence patterns and more advanced vocabulary, such as contractions, possessives, compound sentences, and three-syllable words. Children can also explore new areas of interest with sections on Nighttime Animals, Sea Life, Dinosaurs, the Solar System, Baby Animals, and the Human Body.
- Simple factual texts with mostly familiar themes and content
- Concepts in text are supported by images
- Includes glossary to reinforce reading comprehension
- Repetition of basic sentence structure with variation of placement of subjects, verbs, and adjectives
- Mostly easy vocabulary familiar to kindergartners and first graders
- Introduction to new phonic structures
- Integration of contractions, possessives, compound sentences, and some three-syllable words
Smithsonian Readers: World of Wonder Level 3 (ages 5 and up) engages burgeoning readers with more detailed content about the world around them: Ancient Egypt, Wild Weather, Rain Forest Animals, the United States, the Planet, and Sharks. The Level 3 reader features additional resources to underline concepts and teach new skills, such as maps, diagrams, and illustrations, as well as more complex spelling patterns and longer sentences.
- Interesting factual and informational text that contains new and unfamiliar content
- Includes glossary to reinforce reading comprehension
- Repetition of longer sentence patterns with variation of placement of subjects, verbs, and adjectives
- Most of the vocabulary should be familiar to first graders
- Introduction of more complex spelling patterns and letter-sound relationships
- Photos, illustrations, and diagrams are included for further concept exploration
Smithsonian Readers: Endless Explorations Level 4 is for ages 6 and up and combines the knowledge of the first three levels, urging children to apply their newfound skills with subjects designed to challenge them: Predators, Space Exploration, Natural Disasters, World Wonders, Ocean Habitats, and Flight. Fewer photographs encourage readers to focus on the text for information, while pronunciation guides familiarize them with the more complex vocabulary.
- Variety of factual texts that contain unfamiliar themes and challenging technical content
- Includes glossary and pronunciation guides to
- Contains longer and more complex sentence patterns
- Most of the vocabulary should be familiar to second-graders
- Longer stretches of text and extended descriptions without the support of pictures
- Extended sentences with various structures
These books really are fantastic! They are hardback books with thick glossy pages ABSOLUTELY FULL of beautiful photographs and interesting information in a big and easy to read font. My 7 year old first grader cannot get enough of these. She has already brought them to school to show to her friends and her teacher and has on more than one occasion fallen asleep with them surrounding her in bed. She loves non-fiction the most and these books are most certainly what she craves. These would be a great addition to any classroom and/or child’s bookshelf.
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