I highly recommend this book to all of my friends who are teaching their children to read. At the end of 100 lessons your child will be on a second grade reading level. There is no preparation time, and each scripted lesson takes 20 minutes or less. It is phonics-based, and has your child reading on a solid 2nd grade level when he finishes the book. I love this method of teaching.
Children learn the sounds the letters and blends make before learning the names of the letters.
The method is Distar. This book tells you every word to say as you go and is a very positive experience for the child learning to read. Seems strange, but works beautifully in actually starting children to read quickly, which gets them excited, and they don't want to stop. We used the book 10 minutes per day and within 2 months my 6 year old son was reading second grade materials with ease. We had no trouble transitioning over to Professor Phonics for more intense study, so that was a plus.