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As my children have loved the stories in the Life of Fred math books, I was excited when the beginning readers came out. I bought the entire Eden series and used them for reading practice with my then Kindergartener. Now, two years later, my current Kindergartener just finished reading these books. This review is based on my experiences using the Life of Fred Eden Series beginning readers with two of my children.
Overview
The Life of Fred Eden Series is a set of 18 beginning reading books. The first book in the series starts a story line about Fred and his doll taking a trip to the lake. His adventure continues sequentially throughout each book in the series and ends with going back home in the last book. As such, you will want to read each book in order to get the entire story.
The books would probably be too difficult for the earliest readers, but have been a source of reading fluency practice for my Kindergartners who were/are advanced in their decoding and word recognition skills. I would say that a child reading at the mid to end of first grade equivalent could successfully read the Eden series, although the child would likely need help with some words.
Benefits
One of the best things about the Eden Series is that my children have been motivated to read the books. They ask to read more than I assign and will reread the books on their own. Fred is fun and my children have loved his adventures in these beginning reading books.
Limitations
Unlike other beginning readers, the Eden series does not include a list of new words used for each chapter or book. In order for a child to successfully read the Eden series, they would need to have strong beginning reading skills prior to reading any of the stories. These books will not teach your child to read, but are best used for fluency practice at the first grade level.
Final Recommendations
I recommend using the Life of Fred Eden Series beginning readers for first to second grade reading fluency practice. The story line is fun and motivating for children to read again and again.
CLICK HERE to read about FREE leveled readers for reading fluency practice.