This book teaches the difference between short and long vowels. A 4-step tactile process shows how to put individual sounds together to make a word. The first two steps have picture clues on the letters, the last two do not. Level One teaches 3-sound words: get, mop, cake, rain. Level Two teaches consonant blends: bless, fruit, screen, etc. It even teaches the digraphs! Two letters together make a new sound: check, shine, thank, etc. It is Multiple Sensory: Sight, Hearing, and Touch, which keeps kids focused. This is the CORE of the program!
Michelle Rose –
I would like to thank Doreese Severe for her very inspired “See What They Say” book. I cannot even imagine where my two boys would be without such helpful materials. It’s been five years since I first tried the See What They Say alphabet book. My little boy was in kindergarten and struggling tremendously. I was very upset one day going to help in his class to find him sitting at his table alone, while all the other kids were at the rug doing something else. I walked over to him and asked what was going on. With tears in his eyes, he told me he couldn’t leave the table until he finished writing “Bird nest”. He did not even know what a “B b” was. It was all I could do to not grab him up and take him with me. His schooling became his enemy, as well as mine, as we struggled to help him memorize, memorize, memorize.
My mother had seen the books and brought them and suggested we try them. So we did. We even were lucky enough to have Doreese tutor us on how to use her books. My son and I set a goal to have the upper case learned in 6 weeks. We spent half an hour each day studying. By the end of three weeks he had all the upper and lower case committed to memory. WOW! The books were truly a blessing to us. After only 8 lessons, his teacher called to see what I was doing with him at home because he had improved so much. The program is great, he was able to associate the letters with pictures that taught him the correct sounds. Since the picture clues came to him when he was looking at a letter or trying to write the letter, he no longer mixed up letters or wrote them backwards. He also learned effective, but fun ways to sound out each letter. Blending sounds together was fun and he wanted to sound them out and read what they said. We are extremely pleased with the results.
He is now in the fourth grade and reads very well. You would never even know that he had once struggled so much. I am now using the same method with my second son. He enjoys how fun it is to learn. I recommend these books for any student beginning or learning sounds and reading. You’ll be surprised at how quickly little ones catch on to the fun pictures and learning techniques.
Greg and Shelly Ann Foote –
After using ‘ABC’s See What They Say’ for only a month, we saw remarkable improvement in our son, who was doing kindergarten for the 2nd time. He just was not catching on until we found your wonderful book. Both my husband and I practiced with him every day and he learned his alphabet! At Parent Teacher Conferences, his teachers just could not believe what changes had come over him. His teachers said he was finally ready for first grade! We feel as parents, that your book not only gave him an easier way to understand the alphabet, but it has also given him the self-esteem he needed to start to read. Our 2-year old twins were even picking up on the concept as we practiced with our son. We feel that we won’t know if they were going to have any problems, because they were learning it so young. We practiced the Blending book you have put out, and it was GREAT! Shawn had the excitement and desire to read, where before, there was absolutely no desire at all. He could finally put two sounds together! We made it to first grade, thanks to you and your wonderful books!
Renee Magnusson –
When children learn to read, they must master an immense amount of new concepts. Doreese Severe’s book ABC’s See How to Chop and Blend helps to make this process easier for kids. It also shows their parents how to guide children through this process, even if these parents don’t have a background in teaching reading. Mrs. Severe’s book introduces concepts in manageable amounts, and it provides opportunities for kids to practice what they’ve learned.
Jessica Hall –
The blending book was just the book I was looking for!!! My child was having trouble with “sounding out” a word. He knew all of his letters, but couldn’t “sound out” words. The blending book taught him how to hold onto a sound long enough to catch the next sound, thus enabling him to form a word. The tactile steps helped to keep him focused. The end result, he was able to start reading without frustration! Thank you.
Brandi Hormon –
I have really enjoyed the “ABC’s See How to Chop and Blend – a Recipe for Reading” book. It made it easy for me as a parent to teach and work with my 5-year old and my 6-year old. What I found is that I didn’t get upset and the children enjoyed it as well. I really wish that they would use this in the regular schools. When my daughter was in kindergarten, it was a lot more frustrating for her to learn what my son learned in a shorter period of time. I love this book and have told everyone I know that I found the neatest book!