Have you heard of the "BOB" books?  They are totally awesome. When my daughter was 4 we got these books at the library and she was reading in no time flat.  

Yes, we like those and often use them after we are done with "100 Easy Lessons" to get the kiddos jump started into reading "real" books.

My mom had the BOB books for my brother - the youngest. I was like 12 or 13 at the time so don't remember much but I think bro and Mom liked them.

I just ordered the 100 Easy Lessons for my daughter who is 2 3/4. She is constantly interrupting my work to give me her cute little smile and ask me to help her write her letters or tell her what sounds they make. I'm hoping I can adapt the 100 Easy Lessons to something a toddler can understand. I figure she's practically begging me to teach her these things so I should encourage her love of learning by finding simple ways to teach her where she's at.

Do most homeschooled kids like to read or is it just most girls?? My sister and I loved reading once we got good at it, but my brother hated it until he was in his mid-teens. My husband was not homeschooled and he hates reading to this day. Just curious if it's a girl thing or mostly a homeschooled thing or what.

I am teaching our 5th to read with 100 Easy Lessons.  It is a snap this time around, thankfully, because I considered running away from home while teaching our 4th!

I love 100 Easy Lessons!  It's funny, though, how different children catch on at different rates.

I'm testing a new phonics program called Rocket Phonics for The Old Schoolhouse.  Has anyone used this before?  Have any pointers to help me implement it with my 7, 5, 4, and 3 year olds? Ideas?

I've always used 100 Easy Lessons and this has a lot more bells and whistles, so any and all input is appreciated.

Jessica,
I think that loving to read is both nature and nurture.  I think that girls are more likely to love reading than boys.  I also think that some children will enjoy reading no matter their environment, but I think that being raised in a family that loves books and being read to a lot will encourage an appreciation of reading (to one extent or another) in all children.

My son was definitely different than the girls I have taught.  He was a little less motivated in the reading (and especially writing!) department.  He wanted to learn to read at 3 1/2yrs.  He learned his letter sounds and basic word decoding from the Leapfrog DVDs.  I taught him some basic sight words and then used beginning readers (similar to BOB).  This worked for several months, then he began to resist.  I backed off and continued with our other subjects.  (He loves history, geography, math, and science.)  Around 5yrs we started with The Reading Lesson which I love and he does, too.  He is now over half way through the book and reads most picture books/children's books with ease.

I've never tried Rocket Phonics, but have used 100 Easy Lessons successfully.  My only gripe with it is when I quit half-way through, as I've been known to do at times, some of my kids have trouble recognizing the non-phonetic letters.  It works better for us when I finish the book, even though by that time they can read beginning readers.  I also love the Bob books, especially the first two sets.

I'm anxious to learn more about Rocket Phonics, too.  My precocious, adopted 3.5 yr old is ready to go, but I'm still working with my 6 yr old!   

I have taught four of mine to read with Alpha-Phonics with great results.  We incorporate Explode the Code and Bob books and eventually drop the Alpha-Phonics as they really take off.  My children love to read the Pathway readers through about 2-3 grade level.  After that it's just tons of reading.  All my children, boys and girls, love to read.  Several of them are reading right now.  The 21 yo daughter and the 5 yo son are listening to daddy read Sam the Minuteman..  So sweet!!

We do Starfall.com everyday. JDaniel loves it and asks for it. It maybe because it is the only thing he is allowed at 20 months to do on the computer. We click for him and he point to the letters. He is recognizing letters everywhere we go. He hasn't moved to words yet. When he does we will go to the stories on Starfall.com

Hello Everyone,  I'm kind of new in the whole blogosphere, and though I've never heard of the "Bob" books, I have taught reading in a public school for 13 years as a classroom teacher both in the Kindergarten and currently in second grade. I'm certified as a reading teacher in grades K-12 in New York, and have a ton of resources at my finger tips. If anyone ever has a question about teaching reading, or about tricks of the trade, I'd love to help (If I can!)