My Noah is four years old and expressed an interest in learning to read. So we are using Bob Books. We have used Bob Books with our two older children as well. It is truly a cost effective, no frills, phonetically sound way to teach your kiddos to read. Pair it with www.starfall.com and you truly have a great reading program.

We spend 2-3 days on a book for Noah. (He already knows his letter sounds.) We review the phonics in the front cover. Then we read the book. Noah sounds out the words. Then I write his new words on his slate. He reads them for me. Then he writes out the words that I sound out to him. This works beautifully!

Just a note: I don't believe that four is necessarily the "magic" reading age. Hannah began at three. Jonah didn't show interest until five and a half. Noah has shown interest at four. All of my sweeties are different! That's just the wonderful way that God made them!