The Training Wheels Alphabet Book: A scientific approach to phonics. Every letter always represents the same sound, getting learners off to a fast, confidence-building start. An ancient mnemonic device (aid to memory) helps beginners to immediately memorize letter shapes. As just one example, the figurative drawing of a snake looks like S and a snake's hiss brings to mind the letter's sound: ssssss! Not one single irregular spelling is employed, with regular defined as the most common sound represented by a given letter: [a] as in /at/, [e] as in /get/, [c] as in /cat/, etc. Irregular spellings are mastered in subsequent readers: The Look, Mom, No Hands Alphabet Book, Poor Little Sick Boy, etc. The book is lavishly illustrated, with line drawings for every letter and for many words phrases and sentences. A variety of devices are employed. Several puzzles—including a novel one based on images—help keep learner interest, attention and enjoyment high. The approach is active, not passive, including coloring the drawings as an engaging, effective visual-tactile aid to retention. This book is demonstrably the very best aid available for learning our English alphabet and spelling. The best evidence of this is the impressive numbers of downloads it has received in areas where alphabets other than Latin-based ones are employed (Russian, Greek, Arabic, etc.) and where the writing system is ideographic (non-alphabetic, as in China, Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, etc.). For enhanced visibility, the format is 8-1/2" x 11" and pages will lie flat for coloring and completion of exercises.