This set of 12 simple andfun Little Critter(R) storybooks is an excellent choice to share at home or in thepreschool or kindergarten classroom. It's a fun way to learn to read and as asupplement for activity books for children ages 3 to 6. Enter into theworld of reading with I Can Read Phonics! Join Mercer Mayer's classic and beloved character, Little Critter, as he helps kids learn to read!This 12-book program helps build a foundation for a lifetime of reading fun. The simple stories are full of silly Little Critter antics and feature short and long vowel sounds.Reviewed by a phonics expert, each of the simple stories in this box set is designed to teach kids how to master reading while having fun with Little Critter. Phonics teaches children the relationship between letters and the sounds they make. A child who has mastered these relationships has an excellent foundation for learning to read and spell. According to the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, a child who has learned phonics has a method to recognize familiar words and "decode" unfamiliar ones.