An Amazing Circus of Phonograms: Act 1: An excellent resource book for teachers and parents: Volume 1 - Softcover

Nyssen, Mary Jo

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0692250158 ISBN 13: 9780692250150

Publisher: MOM-BA-BOOKS, 2015

Synopsis

Teaching children to read is less about making them memorize rules and more about giving them the tools they need to sound out and spell any word they encounter. By using a multisensory phonics method, you can break the code of reading by introducing your child to the seventy phonograms of the English language. But, as author and grandmother Mary Jo Nyssen knows full well, there is a secret ingredient that is essential to the mix: humor!

An Amazing Circus of Phonograms: Act I introduces children to twenty-two phonograms, all of which are made of two or more letters. Rather than simply list them off, Nyssen weaves the information into silly stories featuring colorful illustrations.

For example, as kids read the comical tales of Countess Mouse’s escape, Courtney Cat’s poultry, Louis Cougar’s soup, and Douglas and his mischievous cousin, they will discover that the astounding letter duo “ou” can make four separate sounds.

Take your child on a learning adventure you’ll both enjoy, and watch as your young reader begins to grasp how to unlock the mystery of the English language.

About this title

Review:

“Mary Jo has done it again

By Patricia Tharp on June 20, 2015

Mary Jo has done it again!

By Patricia Tharp on June 20, 2015

Format: Paperback

My kids fell in love with your first book, and now have already begged me to read the second one. We read 2-4 pages a day. Each page is a mini story of its own centered around a sound. We started it as soon as we brought it home! I look forward to the next one!

 

 

Amazon review

“Mary Jo's books

Mary Jo's books, A Colorful Journey Through the Land of Talking Letters, and An Amazing Circus of Phonograms - Act 1, have been a great way to introduce letters and sounds in a fun and interesting way. My Kindergarteners love the different stories and listening for the sounds.

Kristen Mikilas.

Kindergarten teacher

 

“judge, 23rd Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards.”

Judge’s Commentary:

12/21/15

In An Amazing Circus of Phonograms by Mary Jo Nyssen and Mike Motz, we are presented with a delightful romp through a literal circus that helps teach children as they also enjoy the blend of vibrant illustrations and breezy fun descriptions that impart a bit of knowledge along with humor. The title seems to this reader to be a little too exact—maybe not as quite a fun as the rest of the book, and I would have preferred something that more clearly evoked the theme and tone of the collection overall.

The book is structured well, taking readers on a learning journey that helps them understand an often misunderstood and difficult concept. The overall design of the book is fantastic. The illustrations are conceived well, and have a great feel to them, and they are reproduced well so that each page is really a visual feast. Overall, the writing is the perfect complement to this. We learn rules in a clear and simple manner, while then having them demonstrated in a way that is always slightly silly and memorable. Toad and Goat in their oak boat is a particular favorite, one where the learning isn’t forced but is part and parcel with the story unfolding.

Judge's Commentary   12/21/15

 

 

...through repetition students will pick up the sounds...

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC-January 2016-by Melissa Batai

About the Author:

Mary Jo Nyssen was born in South Dakota, but grew up in Salem, Oregon, where she and her husband still live today. As a child, she struggled with reading. After she overcame the challenge, however, she grew to love books and even started writing her own poetry. Though she chose a career in nursing, Nyssen never strayed far from her love of words. As a mother she decided to take a community college class on a multisensory phonics method. After using it to successfully teach her daughters, she soon gained further expertise by helping other children, parents, and teachers.

In 2009, when Nyssen was teaching her preschool-age granddaughter the alphabet, she began creating silly rhymes to make the learning process more fun. These stories became her first book, A Colorful Journey through the Land of Talking Letters, and transformed her dream of being an author into a reality.

About this edition

• Publisher: MOM-BA-BOOKS
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0692250158
• ISBN 13: 9780692250150
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Motz Mike