How do you choose an appropriate book for a child to
read? Unfortunately many children, especially
young or struggling readers, want to read books beyond their ability. A Harry Potter book may be very intriguing,
but most young or struggling readers couldn't read it successfully and would
just become frustrated if they tried.
The first step in selecting an appropriate book is to have
the child look at it, read the title and see if it looks appealing. A book that is simply not appealing is going
to be a tough sell, regardless of how well a child can read it.
The next step is to turn to a page in the middle of the book
and have the child read 2 or 3 pages.
The child will hold up one finger for every word he struggles with or
simply can't decode. If the child holds
up 5 fingers, the book is too difficult and an easier book should be
selected.
The final step is to talk with the child about the
book. Does the child understand what he
just read? Can he read it fluently or is
his reading slow and choppy? Is it interesting? If a book has met all of these criteria,
congratulations; you have found a "just right" book!
Misty
P.S. If a child
insists on a book that is too difficult, read it with him. You can read it to him or share reading with
each of you reading a page or a paragraph and you helping the child with any
difficult words. Our goal is for
children to learn to love reading. This
can only happen if they are taught how to avoid frustrating books and find ones
that they will enjoy.
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