As children learn to read, it’s important that what they read is a good fit for them. Books need to be a little challenging, but not so much as to be frustrating. Figuring out how to choose great books for kids that are just right can be a tricky as there aren’t standards for publications. Each company has their own versions of how easy or difficult their sets of books are, which makes it a real minefield as a parent.
I’ve recently come across the 5-finger rule, which is a good way for children to learn to choose their own books. Have you heard of it? It is:
- Let your child choose a book they think they’ll be interested in.
- Open the book to the second page.
- Have your child start reading the page and hold up one finger for each word they don’t know.
- If there are five or more words they don’t know, then it’s best to choose an easier book today.
- If they really want to read this book, let them try the five finger method on one or two more pages.
With these things in mind, I’m sharing a few books with you today to help you create a good literacy-rich home atmosphere, as well as a few of our own favourite books. Feel free to share the books your children have loved in the comments below and make this a great resource together!
This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
How To Choose Great Books for Kids
- How to Choose “Just Right” Books: Helping Kids Grow as Readers
- Raising Kids Who Read: What Parents and Teachers Can Do
- Beyond the Tiger Mom: East-West Parenting for the Global Age
Top Picks By My 6-year-old
- Espresso Phonics: L1: Kim’s Big Bed
- Leo’s New Pet (Tadpoles)
- Espresso Phonics: L4: Polly’s Trick Mug
Top Picks By My 8-year-old
- Egypt’s Mysterious Pyramids: An Isabel Soto Archaeology Adventure
- How to be a Viking in 13 Easy Stages
- DK Readers L2: Angry Birds Star Wars: Lard Vader’s Villains
Great Family Read Aloud Books
- The Little House Collection
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
- The Complete Anne of Green Gables Boxed Set
Brazilian Inspiration:
I enjoy Tina’s blog, Desperate Homeschoolers and her post on Learning about Brazil – Children Around the World is great. What a great job they’ve done learning about Brazil – perfect with the Summer Games currently being held there.
