One of the most common questions parents ask is “How do I help my child find a book? How can I find a book that is the right fit for them?”
There are 2 different components of that. One is the genre of book. The other is the level of the book.
The level of the book is pretty easy to help them identify using the 5 Finger Rule. This rule is simple. Have your child read the first page of the book. For every word they don’t know, they should put up a finger. If they get to 5 fingers up before they reach the bottom of the page, then the book is too difficult. You don’t want your child to have to read a book that has a lot of words that are just too difficult for them to read.
If it’s a book that is very interesting to them that they want to read, but it’s too difficult, then that book is a perfect book to read to them so they can just enjoy listening. Find something a little bit easier for them to sit and read on their own.
Another tip for helping your child find a book is to think about what the content is. Help them find something that they are interested in. Most children like fiction. Most girls want to read about little girls, most boys want to read things that have animals or action.
But every once in a while, we’ll see a child who does not fit the norm. Maybe the little girl doesn’t want to read books about little girls, but wants to read mysteries or adventure stories. Sometimes, we’ll even find children who don’t want to read fiction at all. They want to learn information.
Therefore, you really want to explore every kind of book with your child. The best way to do this is to go to the library. Librarians are valuable resources that can find both the right fit for the level of book as well as what your child would be interested in. When you find a good fit, you can check out those books and return them and get another stack without having to break the bank by buying a bunch of books at the bookstore.
We hope this helps you guide your child on the path to confident reading! For more tips on building a confident reader, keep scrolling and grab our free guide.
