Wizzy’s Words

I can't evaluate this like a reading specialist or SLP could, but, as a classroom reader, this comes across as more of a didactic tool than a recreational read. I would absolutely check in with the relevant professionals to see their thoughts on it and recommend it to caregivers with their approval, but I don't know if I'd bring it out for general classroom use at circle time or in small groups.

The rhymes seem to lean more toward form than function--there were words and expressions that I don't think my pre-K kids would understand that seem mostly to support the tune/meter rather than storytelling. This may well be an excellent resource for kids with language processing issues/delays, but unless recommended by a pro, I would probably defer to whatever interests the child for recreational reading purposes.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

This is a very helpful book to remind us to teach our children to read by reciting poems, teaching them rhymes, and having a lot of word play in their daily life. Our kids are all grown and are readers, so we've done well. But our family has always been readers and we are very verbal and we love to play word games. Wizzy's Words gives you tons of examples but, more than that, I think the best take away is to talk to your kids, read to them, sing to them, embrace nursery rhymes, both old and new, and just have a ball talking and playing with those fun things called words. I remember years ago Dr. Dodson had a similar book. While I am now a grandfather, and don't need the daily use of poems, we read to our grandkids all the time and they read to us. And we constantly play language games. So, this book will help you to see how easy it all is. And how useful it all is. And, most of all, how fun it all is.