15 Books Important for Phonological Awareness and Pre-Reading Skills

Some Smug Slug by Pamela Duncan Edwards

This is the perfect book to practice alliteration. Not only can you identify the beginning sounds but, you can make up your own alliteration as well. Practice choosing a letter and seeing how long of a sentence you can make with that sound.

Many Marvelous Monsters by Ed Heck

So many monsters with so many opportunities to identify the beginning sounds and make up your own. Purple Pete and Squishy Slug are hilarious and the perfect beginning alliteration book.

Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss

If this book does not tie your tongue in knots, that is beyond impressive but, this book is more than just a hilarious glimpse into the life of tweedle beetles. Each short section in this book is a perfect chance to talk about all the sounds- beginning, middle, and end.

You can ask questions like “What sound is different in the words puddle and paddle?” It is a great way to examine words more in-depth and can be used as a tool for teaching phoneme manipulation in books as well.

Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas

These dust bunnies love to rhyme and are quite excellent at it- except for Bob. He cannot quite seems to get it right. Your child will love to giggle as Bob tries to rhyme. It will also give them a chance to recognize the odd bunny out. sheep

Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy E. Shaw

These sheep are out on an adventure. This read-aloud book with hilarious sheep is perfect for picking out words that rhyme.

Don’t Be Silly Mrs. Millie by Judy Cox

Mrs. Millie keeps making mistakes like telling her students to wear their bats and kittens. Not only is this book perfect for identifying rhyming words, but it also incorporates another wordplay that will help in the development of reading skills.

Room on a Broom by Julia Donaldson

Will there be room on the broom for the whole gang? This rhyming book is a story about friendship and inclusivity that is sweet and funny to read aloud to the family.

Giraffe and a Half by Shel Silverstein

Leave it to Shel Silverstein to take rhyming to the next level with this book. The repetition and rhyming is a tongue twister- rhyme extraordinaire! Even 50 years after publication, it is still relevant. Try making up your own rhymes to add to this story of a giraffe and a half

Tanka Tanka Skunk by Steve Webb

This book is the perfect introduction to syllables and the animals use drums to count the beats in their names. Grab a drum, a shaker, or just use your hands to clap along with elephant and skunk.

The Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds

Harold loves to collect words and lucky for us, he collects them by syllable. He has one syllable, two-syllable, and even multi-syllable words. Teaching syllables with books is so much easier with a wonderful book like this. When you are done clapping out the words, try talking about the meanings of the words Harold collects as well.

Runny Babbit by Shel Silverstein

Shel Silverstein is a master or words and so it is no surprise that he has appeared in this list twice. Runny Babbit is a perfect example of phoneme manipulation. Throughout the story, letters are transposed but somehow, the story still shines through. Take your time to read this book to your child. Can you read it without messing up?

The Hungry Thing by Jan Slepian and Ann Seidler

The monster wants shmancakes and none of the grown-ups can figure out what he wants. In addition to the rhyming in this book, the hungry monster cannot seem to get his sounds straight. Your child will be delighted to explain it to you as you read this book.

Hooway for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester

Poor Rodney cannot say his R sound which is a problem if you are a rat. The kids in school make fun of him until he saves the day when he plays a game of Simon Says.

While most of this story is about Rodney overcoming his own obstacles, the inability to say the R sound changes the meaning of words. This concept is such an important one when kids are learning how to read.

Animalia by Graeme Base

This beautifully illustrated book will keep you searching the pages for hours looking at each illustration. Each page is filled with items that start with the same letter. This is the perfect way to start to introduce beginning sounds and letters to your child.

The Z was Zapped by Chris Van Allsburg

This 26-act book has wonderful illustrations to help your child learn to identify their letters and the sounds they make. I love that the vocabulary in this book is geared toward older children with words like evaporated. This book will keep kids entertained while they are learning an important pre-reading skill.