New York Times bestselling author and artist James Dean's Pete the Cat helps kids learn to read with phonics. Who knew reading could be so groovy. Reviewed by a phonics expert, these twelve short full-color books feature repeated examples of short and long vowel sounds and common sight words. Each of the simple stories in this box set is designed to teach kids how to master reading while rocking out with Pete the Cat. 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 and Human Development, a child who has learned phonics has a method to recognize familiar words and " decode" unfamiliar ones. Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts.