Note: The Learning to Read (grade 1) program shares much of its general educational methods with the rest of the series but the components are a bit different.
The Christian Light Reading (grades 1-8) series just might have everything you are looking for in a reading program. With a major goal of teaching children to think clearly and logically, the readers are highly readable and include enjoyable anthologies of stories and other prose selections as well as poetry and a generous dose of Bible selections (KJV). These selections have a strong character-building emphasis as well as a foundational biblical and Christian worldview. Vocabulary development is enhanced by boldfaced words that are listed in a glossary in each book along with literary terms.
On a practical note, the hardcover Readers are a nice, just-right-for-small-hands size that lay flat with ease. As you would expect, font size gradually diminishes throughout the grade levels. Colorful covers and an inside accent color produce an inviting appearance, but there is a reminder of the program's Mennonite origins visible in the illustrations which depict their particular mode of women's apparel.
Just reading through the stories would be beneficial, but the support information is also well done. Five Light Units accompany each Reader. These are magazine-size worktexts that review phonics in lower elementary, competently cover reading comprehension (all levels), emphasize vocabulary development, and introduce literary analysis in middle school. Integrating reading studies with the practical application of Bible verses, there is also biblical review and an encouragement toward Bible memorization.
The Light Units are designed so the student can work somewhat independently, with symbols to indicate when teacher help is needed. Each Light Unit has three sections; each section has four lessons plus a quiz or self-check. Units are to be completed in 17 days with day 16 as a review. Day 17 is a Light Unit test. (Unit tests are a pull-out section in the center of each LightUnit.)
Answers to the LightUnits and Unit tests are in the teacher materials which vary with the grade level and edition.