Helping Your Child Learn to Read with Beginning Readers
Beginning readers are books with limited vocabulary that can help children in kindergarten, first, and second grade to improve their reading skills and develop fluency.
As soon as your child has learned the sounds of letters and phonemes (sounds produced by letter combinations, such as “sh”), and has some basic word recognition, he or she can be introduced to beginning readers.
This is the time to bring your child to the library to talk with children’s staff about finding the right book. Where do you start? What do the levels mean? How can you find the perfect fit for your child’s reading needs? We can answer all of your questions!
There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a beginning reader. It is important to pick a book with a level of difficulty that matches your child’s ability. At first, try to find a book that your child can read with little or no assistance. This helps to boost their confidence in their reading skills.
As your child’s skill level increases, choose more challenging books. This will increase confidence, skill and knowledge. Be supportive and listen. Be sure to offer your child the correct word after just a few seconds, if they are struggling. This builds fluency and decreases frustration. It also makes the reading experience more enjoyable, which will motivate your child to want to read more.
Beginning readers can be divided into three levels:
The first level is simple books. There are usually 5-7 words on a page, with many sight words that most children will recognize. The illustrations will give clues to the text.
The second level has text with longer sentences and gradually more challenging words. Predictability is important and there is usually repetition in the text.
The third level has longer, more complicated sentences. There are fewer illustrations, and the vocabulary and plot become more complicated.
All libraries in the county have an excellent collection of beginning readers.
Here are some series that are recommended by the children’s library staff:
- BOB books – Bobby Lynn Maslen
- Bank Street Readers
- True Books and New True Books (Nonfiction titles)
- My First Reader
- Sound Box Books by Jane Belk Moncure
- Rookie Readers
- Beginning to Read series – Margaret Hillert
Tips for reading with your child:
- Select a regular time and place to read. Your child will look forward to the time spent together on a consistent basis.
- Read aloud, at any age—and encourage your child to read to you.
- Discuss what you are reading conversationally—don’t quiz your child, just talk about the pictures, the story, and the actions of the characters.
- Make sure your children see you reading. You are their reading role model.
- Do activities together to reinforce language skills and literacy, such as puzzles, board games, and songs.
- Make sure you find books that meet your child’s interests, so they will enjoy reading. Easy readers cover many topics, both fiction and nonfiction.
- Try listening and reading along with books on tape or CD.
- Make sure your child has his or her own library card. It’s free and will open up the world of reading and knowledge to your child.
After reading a book, try some extension activities to reinforce the story, such as:
- Acting out the story using dress-up, props, and voices.
- Make art projects. Let your child create his or her own illustrations for the story.
- Create a recipe from the book or find a recipe that relates to the story.
- Write a letter to the author or visit their website and send them an email.
- Imagine a sequel to the book and draw the illustrations.
- Watch a movie based on a book you have read and talk about how it is the same, or different.
