**Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links to books I use in my teaching practice and recommend to parents.**

This is a question I get a lot! It’s hard to know your child’s exact reading level or to understand the scale that reading levels are based on. It’s also difficult to know exactly what content your child should be reading. Below is a helpful guide to picking the right book for your child and how to get the most out of reading time.

Level

An accurate and simple way to check if the book is at the right level is to have your student read through the first full page. If your child is in kindergarten this could mean just one sentence or a few words. If your child is in 1st or, more likely, 2nd grade it could mean a full page of writing with no illustrations. If your child has to sound out 2 – 3 words and they understand what they read (i.e. can give you a summary and answer questions about the page they read) then that is the appropriate level for them. If they have to sound out 4 or more words per page and/or do not understand what they read, that book is not at the appropriate level.

Make sure that your child has to sound out words. If he or she doesn’t have to stop to sound out a new word chances are that book is too easy. This makes the book not challenging enough to encourage that little bit of struggle that students need to learn how to read well. That being said, if your child has to stop more than 3 times to sound out a word on one page, he or she will get tired quicker and not want to read as much or as often.

Some of my favorite books for early readers are from the I can Read series by Harper Collins. This collection has books like Frog and Toad are Friends, Pete the Cat, Amelia Bedelia, and The Berenstain Bears. I like these books because they are already leveled, which can give parents some idea about their child’s reading level.

When ordering these books, I suggest starting with My Very First (red label), My First Reading (yellow label), or Beginning Reading 1 (blue label) for kindergartners. The blue labeled books are best for students who are already sounding out words or for kindergartners just about ready to move to 1st grade. For 1st graders, the Beginning Reading 1 (blue label) or the Reading with Help 2 (red label) are best. Those levels are for students who are starting to sound out words and are ready for more complex reading. If your student’s reading has really taken off, I recommend moving to Reading Alone 3 (green label), which would be the next level up. In 2nd grade, students should be reading at the Reading with Help 2 (red label), Reading Alone 3 (green label) and, eventually, Advanced Reading 4 (purple label). The purple label may be more appropriate for your child when they get to 3rd grade. Of course, all children will develop their reading ability at different speeds.

You can always have your child read an excerpt using the look inside option on Amazon before purchasing a book or go to your local bookstore. These books are also fairly widely used and could be found at a public library.

Content

Now that you know what level your child is reading at, or how to determine it, the question becomes what should the reading be about. In writing, I always tell my students there are three types: persuasive writing (where someone is giving an opinion), informative writing (when someone is telling the reader facts), and entertaining writing (which can be any writing, but mostly covers stories). With that in mind, there are three types of books that students can read. Persuasive writing is probably least available in the K-2 range and stories are probably read most often. I think that parents and children in K-2 often gravitate toward stories, but informative reading shouldn’t be overlooked. This type of reading could be about animals or the ocean, even about cooking, art, or (my son’s personal favorite) trucks and construction equipment.

When looking for books, mix it up when it comes to stories and informative (or non-fiction) reading. Always default to books on topics that interest your child. You don’t want to make reading time a battle and picking out books that captivate your child naturally are your best bet for increasing your child’s attention and motivation to read.

But why does my child say he or she hates reading?

Even in Kindergarten I’ve heard students complain about not enjoying reading (and they’re just learning how to decode!). I have the same response, no matter what grade the student is in, reading is important. Reading is how we tell stories, learn about new things, and let people know important messages. It’s also not going to go away, however much a student may say he or she doesn’t like it.

Here are a few pointers for motivating a reluctant reader:

  1. You have to designate a time to read with or next to your child. What I mean by this is that you have to read your own book while your child reads his or hers or, if your child is younger, you need to engage in the same book to show that you care about reading.
  2. Make picking books fun! Who doesn’t like to look through Amazon and fill a little electronic cart up only to receive a package a few days later or go to a bookstore and pick out shiny new books. Even going to the library and thumbing through stacks can be exciting for kids. Give your child autonomy when picking out his or her own books. This will be motivation to crack those books open later.
  3. Make sure the books aren’t too hard. Usually reluctant readers are struggling readers (though not always). Perform the test I talked about in the first few paragraphs of this post to make sure that your child can read the books he or she picks.
  4. Have a wide variety of books on subjects that interest your child available for reading time. This can mean a bookcase full of books or a basket full of library books. Either way, having choice will increase the likelihood your child will open up a book.
  5. Show interest in your child’s reading. Ask questions about what your child is reading. If he or she is reading about jungle animals, be suddenly super interested in jungle animals. Let your child be your teacher or your storyteller. This will not only get them reading but will help your child better understand what they are reading.
  6. Finally, keep a reading log and praise your child when they’ve read a certain amount of pages. Give a special reward when your child reaches a reading goal. The goal could be 10 pages or 100 pages, whatever seems to motivate your child to read. The reward doesn’t need to be something big, it could be a special trip to the park or a call to grandma. Chances are good that your child will love the praise and encouragement.

Hopefully this post will help you find the right material and motivation to get your child reading! As always, if you have further questions just email me via the email address at the top of the page!