# Recommended > The phonics books and simple supplies we think are worth buying for teaching reading at home, and who each one suits. Source: https://welovephonics.com/recommended/ Good tools, nothing fancy # Recommended books and supplies You don’t need to buy anything to teach phonics at home. Paper, a pencil and ten minutes will do. But if you want a few good tools, these are the ones we would start with. Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you buy, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. [How we choose](https://welovephonics.com/affiliate-disclosure/) ## If you buy just three things 1. [**Chunky beginner pencils** Easy for small fingers to grip.](https://welovephonics.com/go/triangular-pencils/) 2. [**Magnetic letters** Build words on the fridge.](https://welovephonics.com/go/magnetic-letters/) 3. [**A small whiteboard** Write it, read it, wipe it.](https://welovephonics.com/go/lap-whiteboard/) Books ## Books for beginning readers The first books a child reads on their own should use only the sounds they know. Pull one off the shelf, or read our round-up for what each series is like and who it suits. [Read the books guide](https://welovephonics.com/learn/best-phonics-books-for-beginning-readers/) For your child to read: decodable books [Bob Books](https://welovephonics.com/go/bob-books/) [Dog on a Log](https://welovephonics.com/go/dog-on-a-log/) [Usborne Phonics Readers](https://welovephonics.com/go/usborne-phonics-readers/) [Junior Learning](https://welovephonics.com/go/junior-learning/) For you to read aloud together [Hop on Pop](https://welovephonics.com/go/hop-on-pop/) [Green Eggs and Ham](https://welovephonics.com/go/green-eggs-and-ham/) [Brown Bear, Brown Bear](https://welovephonics.com/go/brown-bear/) [Elephant & Piggie](https://welovephonics.com/go/elephant-and-piggie/) [The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s ABC](https://welovephonics.com/go/alphabet-book/) Supplies ## Simple supplies These cost little and get used every day. **Small pieces!** Magnetic letters and letter tiles are not for children under three. Check the age label. ### For little hands writing and coloring The right size matters more than fancy stationery. We’d buy the pencils before anything else. - **Triangular beginner pencils** Thick, three-sided pencils that guide fingers into a comfortable grip. A soft lead makes a dark line without pressing hard. [See pencils on Amazon](https://welovephonics.com/go/triangular-pencils/) - **Pencil grips** Soft grips that slip onto an ordinary pencil, for children who hold it in a fist or press too hard. [See pencil grips on Amazon](https://welovephonics.com/go/pencil-grips/) - **Jumbo washable crayons** Fat crayons that don’t snap easily, for scribbling, coloring and tracing big letters. [See crayons on Amazon](https://welovephonics.com/go/jumbo-crayons/) - **Triangular colored pencils** The next step up from crayons, for neater coloring and for marking sounds in different colors. [See colored pencils on Amazon](https://welovephonics.com/go/colored-pencils/) - **Washable broad-line markers** Bright and easy to use for big letters, sound hunts and labels around the house. [See markers on Amazon](https://welovephonics.com/go/washable-markers/) - **A sharpener for jumbo pencils** A large-barrel sharpener sized for chunky first pencils, with a container that catches the shavings. [See sharpener on Amazon](https://welovephonics.com/go/pencil-sharpener/) ### For writing practice lines, boards and sleeves - **Primary handwriting paper** A top line, a dashed middle line and a baseline, the same lines as our tracing sheets. [See paper on Amazon](https://welovephonics.com/go/handwriting-paper/) - **A small whiteboard and dry-erase pens** Write a word, read it, wipe it, change one letter. [See the whiteboard on Amazon](https://welovephonics.com/go/lap-whiteboard/)[See the pens on Amazon](https://welovephonics.com/go/dry-erase-pens/) - **Clear sheet protectors** Slip a tracing sheet inside and use a dry-erase marker on top, and one printout lasts for weeks. [See sheet protectors on Amazon](https://welovephonics.com/go/sheet-protectors/) ### For word cards and games build it, sort it, play it - **Magnetic letters** Lowercase and capital letters, plus numbers, for building words on the fridge or a baking tray. Start with the lowercase ones. [See letters on Amazon](https://welovephonics.com/go/magnetic-letters/) - **A wooden CVC spelling set** Wooden letters and picture cards for building short words like *cat* and *dog*, then changing one letter to make a new word. [See letters on Amazon](https://welovephonics.com/go/letter-tiles/) - **White card stock** Heavier paper for printing word cards and bingo boards so they survive lots of handling. [See card stock on Amazon](https://welovephonics.com/go/card-stock/) - **Index cards** For homemade word cards and games of snap. [See index cards on Amazon](https://welovephonics.com/go/index-cards/) - **Round-tip children’s scissors** For older preschoolers to help cut out cards, with a grown-up nearby. [See scissors on Amazon](https://welovephonics.com/go/kids-scissors/) - **Washable glue sticks** For sorting games where children stick words or pictures under the right heading. [See glue sticks on Amazon](https://welovephonics.com/go/glue-sticks/) - **Reward stickers** A sticker on the reading log after each session is a small thing that many children love. [See stickers on Amazon](https://welovephonics.com/go/reward-stickers/) ### For grown-ups worth it if you print a lot - **A home laminator and pouches** Laminated word cards and game boards wipe clean and last for months. Grown-ups only: it gets hot. [See laminator on Amazon](https://welovephonics.com/go/laminator/) - **A basket of library books** The books are free, and still the best reading supply of all. Keep them in one basket and swap them every week or two. [See baskets on Amazon](https://welovephonics.com/go/book-basket/) Our own printables ## Free and paid printables that match our guides Picture stories, word cards, tracing sheets, bingo and more. [Visit the shop](https://welovephonics.com/printables/)