Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
A single scripted book of 100 parent-led phonics lessons by Siegfried Engelmann, Phyllis Haddox and Elaine Bruner. Each lesson takes about 20 minutes and aims to get a child reading at a second-grade level.
What is Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons?
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons is a single paperback that walks a parent through 100 short phonics lessons. Siegfried Engelmann, Phyllis Haddox and Elaine Bruner wrote it, and Simon & Schuster publishes it. Engelmann created Direct Instruction and the DISTAR reading program used in schools. This book adapts that approach for one parent and one child at home.
The promise is simple: about 20 minutes a day, and by Lesson 100 your child reads at what the publisher calls a solid second-grade level.
How it works
Every lesson is scripted. You read the words in red to your child, point where the book tells you to, and follow the correction steps when your child makes a mistake. You don't need any teaching background or prep. Just open to the next lesson.
A typical lesson includes:
- Saying and identifying sounds
- Blending sounds into words, first out loud and then in print
- Reading a short story, then answering a few questions about the picture and the story
- Writing a few sounds or words
Early lessons use special lettering so every word can be sounded out. Long vowels have a line over them, letter pairs like th are joined, and silent letters are printed smaller. These marks fade over the book until your child is reading normal print. Some kids find the switch confusing for a while, so expect a few bumps.
What it covers
| Lessons | What your child is working on |
|---|---|
| Early lessons | Single sounds, oral blending, first words like sat and mat |
| Middle lessons | Longer words, short sentences, simple stories, more sounds |
| Later lessons | Longer stories, fading special lettering, faster reading |
| End of book | Reading regular print near a second-grade level |
It teaches decoding, basic comprehension and a little writing. It doesn't teach spelling rules, grammar or advanced patterns like prefixes and suffixes. That's why most families switch to another program after Lesson 100.
Who it's best for
This book is a good fit for parents who want a complete, low-cost plan and are willing to sit with one child every day. It works best for children ages 4 to 6 who can focus for a short lesson. Browse more options for this age in kindergarten phonics programs.
Look elsewhere if your child needs color, games or hands-on activities, or if you're teaching several kids at once. Parents of a child who is really struggling may want a program built for struggling readers.
Pricing at a glance
It's one book. As of October 2026 the list price is $29.99, and it often sells for less. Used copies and library copies are easy to find. There's nothing else you must buy.
Can a scholarship or ESA pay for it?
Often, yes. Reading curriculum is commonly an allowed expense in ESA programs like Arizona ESA and Florida's scholarship programs. Each program decides what it covers and how you buy. Check your state on our scholarships page, save this book and a follow-on program to your wishlist, and apply once on Edulist.
How it compares
Hooked on Phonics costs more, but it adds an app, color books and rewards that keep wigglier kids engaged. Free Progressive Phonics uses shared reading and is more playful but less systematic. Bob Books make a great reading companion during and after the book. For a complete program that also covers spelling, look at All About Reading or Logic of English.
Compare more choices in our best phonics programs guide, or browse every reading program.
Who Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons is for (and who it isn’t)
Best for
- Parents who want a complete, scripted plan in one inexpensive book
- Children ages 4 to 6 who can sit for a 20-minute lesson
- Families who prefer explicit, systematic phonics over sight-word guessing
Look elsewhere if
- Kids who need color, games or movement to stay engaged
- Teaching several children at once
- Parents who want spelling and grammar covered too
- Children not yet ready to sit and focus on a short lesson
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons pros and cons
Pros
- Very low cost for a full beginning reading program
- Fully scripted, so there's no prep and no guesswork
- Systematic sounds-first approach with constant review
- Includes comprehension questions and simple writing
- Many parents report kids reading other books well before Lesson 100
Cons
- Plain, black-and-white pages that some kids find boring
- Later lessons get long and hard for many children
- Special lettering can confuse kids when they read regular books
- Stops around second-grade level, with no spelling program
- Some parents dislike the 'bet you can't' tone and rewrite parts of the script
What’s included
- 100 fully scripted lessons in one paperback; the parent reads the red script
- Based on Direct Instruction, the method Engelmann developed in the DISTAR reading program
- Special lettering at first: long-vowel marks, joined letters and small silent letters, faded out over the book
- Each lesson mixes sound practice, word reading, a short story, comprehension questions and writing
- Ends at what the publisher calls a solid second-grade reading level
How much does Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons cost?
You buy one book and you are done. Simon & Schuster lists the paperback at $29.99 as of October 2026, and notes that price may vary by retailer. Christianbook listed it at $23.19, and used copies are widely available for under $15.
| Plan | Price | Billed | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paperback, Revised and Updated Second Edition | $29.99 | One-time | — |
Prices from the provider, checked 2026-10-13. Always confirm on the official site.
Future opening updates
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View wishlistWhat parents say
A summary of public parent feedback we read on forums, app stores and review sites. It is not a set of Edulist family reviews.
Parent reviews are strongly positive on results and cost, often summed up as it works. The recurring complaints are that it is dull, that the last 40 or so lessons are hard, and that it isn't really easy. Many parents split lessons into two sittings or add color and games.
Common praise
- Effective, with many kids reading early books by Lessons 50 to 75
- Cheap and easy for parents to start
- Builds real sound-it-out skills
Common complaints
- Dry, repetitive and colorless
- Last 40 lessons are long and tough
- Special lettering takes adjusting when switching to normal print
Sources: thehomeschoolmom.com · teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons · goodreads.com · 6619.Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons · homeschooling4him.com · review teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons family reviews
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Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons FAQs
What age should I start 100 Easy Lessons?
The book gives no strict age, but parents most often start between ages 4 and 6. A good sign of readiness is a child who can sit for about 20 minutes and repeat sounds after you. Several reviewers had to pause and restart a few months later.
Does it really take only 20 minutes a day?
Early lessons often do. Many parents say later lessons run longer, so they split one lesson across two sittings. Going slower is fine as long as you keep the daily habit.
What reading level is a child at after Lesson 100?
The publisher says children finish reading at a solid second-grade level. It does not cover advanced phonics like many vowel teams, prefixes and suffixes, so most families add another program afterward.
Why does the book use strange letters?
Early lessons use special marks, such as lines over long vowels and joined letters for sounds like th, so every word can be sounded out. The marks fade over the book until the text is in normal print.
Is there a free PDF of Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons?
Simon & Schuster sells the book; copies posted free online are generally not authorized. Your public library is the best free option, and used copies are inexpensive.
Is 100 Easy Lessons good for a child with dyslexia?
Some parents report success with struggling readers because it is explicit and systematic. It was not designed as a dyslexia intervention, though, and children with dyslexia often need more multisensory practice and review.
Is it Christian or secular?
It is secular. The stories are simple everyday tales with no religious content.
Sources and last checked
Checked 2026-10-13 against these sources:
- simonandschuster.com · 9780671631987
- barnesandnoble.com · 1141652660
- christianbook.com · 631985
- thehomeschoolmom.com · teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons
- goodreads.com · 6619.Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
- homeschooling4him.com · review teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons