Young reader - book suggestions

[kmacnchs]

My 3.5yo is reading level 3 readers w/ease. So, my plan was to have her read level 3 independently (during rest time, etc.) and read the next level up to me aloud. However, the next level up does not have many pictures. And for a 3yo, pictures are important. Anyone btdt? Suggestions?

We do Saxon 1, OPG (2 lessons left before we are through!), and SWO A (almost done) everyday. We also do Bible and memorization everyday. I read to them for other subjects (get books from the library) but it is less & less (life, you know).

Do you think she could/should read our history books aloud? I am trying to figure out how to challenge her in reading but still make it enjoyable and I am looking for ideas. Thanks!

[abbeyej]

Check out the picture book section at your library. I don't know what "level 3" readers mean, because it depends entirely on the publisher. But if she's able to read fairly well on her own, she should be able to make it through picture books with occasional help from you. (Picture books range in difficulty, but many are actually written on a mid-to-late elementary level in terms of vocabulary and sentence structure.)

I tend to favor the fairy tales / folk tales / myths and legends section, where you'll find many beautifully illustrated retellings of stories from around the world. I consider these vital to a child's education, and many children are delighted by them. :) But there are also great things in the regular picture book section.

Check the booklists from Five in a Row (http://fiarhq.com/fiveinarow.info/fiarbooklist.html) and the Veritas Press First Favorites (http://veritaspress.com/products.asp?dept=1012) lists for great starting points with picture books for young readers.

Cynthia Rylant has several series (Henry and Mudge, etc) of easy reader chapter books that appeal to young ones *and* have lots of pictures.

Beatrix Potter books will likely be challenging, but if you read them together and help with the more challenging words and concepts, they may be great. Little ones particularly seem to love the tiny format of her books.

[kmacnchs]

I tend to favor the fairy tales / folk tales / myths and legends section, where you'll find many beautifully illustrated retellings of stories from around the world. I consider these vital to a child's education, and many children are delighted by them. :) But there are also great things in the regular picture book section.

Check the booklists from Five in a Row (http://fiarhq.com/fiveinarow.info/fiarbooklist.html) and the Veritas Press First Favorites (http://veritaspress.com/products.asp?dept=1012) lists for great starting points with picture books for young readers.

Cynthia Rylant has several series (Henry and Mudge, etc) of easy reader chapter books that appeal to young ones *and* have lots of pictures.

Beatrix Potter books will likely be challenging, but if you read them together and help with the more challenging words and concepts, they may be great. Little ones particularly seem to love the tiny format of her books.

So the stuff that I normally read aloud? Is that what you are talking about? That could work :)

She is beyond Henry & Mudge and ability-wise should probably be working on some "real" chapter books but she LOVES reading AND looking at pictures...I don't want reading to become a chore by making her read books w/o pics...I don't know! [sigh]

[kmacnchs]

Check the booklists from Five in a Row (http://fiarhq.com/fiveinarow.info/fiarbooklist.html) and the Veritas Press First Favorites (http://veritaspress.com/products.asp?dept=1012) lists for great starting points with picture books for young readers.

I just looked at their lists - some of them would be challenging enough and would be a great place to start - thanks!

Beatrix Potter books will likely be challenging, but if you read them together and help with the more challenging words and concepts, they may be great. Little ones particularly seem to love the tiny format of her books.

What do you mean "tiny format"?

[abbeyej]

So the stuff that I normally read aloud? Is that what you are talking about?

Sure. :) It doesn't mean you *stop* reading aloud to her -- but you can use *some* of those books for her to practice with. And some of your read-alouds may increase in difficulty, towards books that, for whatever reason (too long, challenging vocabulary, challenging sentence structure, themes that are better addressed with Mommy than alone) are still beyond her for read-alones.

Also look around for large-print, illustrated editions of classic children's books. There are Little House books (unabridged) with color illustrations (they're the originals, but color added later) and the print is fairly large. There aren't drawings on *every* page, but there are a fair number. Inga Moore illustrated an unabridged edition of The Secret Garden that has large print and some sort of illustration on nearly every page. There are many others like this (though be careful to find the real books, not retellings that lose the original language)...

When I said "tiny format" of the Beatrix Potter books, I meant the tiny books themselves. If you find the real Beatrix Potter books, published individually, the books are very tiny (maybe 3x4.5"?)... Just right for small hands (though the vocabulary is quite challenging).

[kmacnchs]

thanks a bunch! I'm excited :)

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

She is beyond Henry & Mudge and ability-wise should probably be working on some "real" chapter books but she LOVES reading AND looking at pictures...I don't want reading to become a chore by making her read books w/o pics...I don't know! [sigh]

Oldest dd is the same way. She is at the point now where she will pick up a chapter book once-in-a-while (recently it's been Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and Little House in the Big Woods) but she usually wants books with pictures that she can read in one sitting. We do still get some of the higher-leveled readers, fiction picture books, and non-fiction books on whatever topics she is currently interested in. She also enjoys reading magazines. We get Click, Spider, and Hopscotch. These are at a much higher level than easier chapter books but still have the pictures that dd desires.

[KarenAnne]

I've also heard of kids loving to look through adult books with pictures; one of my friends was a nurse and her daughter's favorite book to browse was Gray's Anatomy. Another loved archeology books with all the pictures of artifacts. Who knows how much they were actually reading... but they loved it.

My husband at around age 4-5 read Reader's Digest. My daughter's favorite early reading material was catalogs. (I read Dick and Jane.) Takes all kinds!

[Staceyshoe]

Well, we're going through similar struggles, but I've found a few things that did click for ds better than others. My dc hates small font and hates books without pictures.

I found a lot of picture encyclopedias in the nonfiction section of the library which he adores. There are all kinds of them, but he's a science-type, so he loves looking at lots of pictures with a small paragraph or caption underneath. Eyewitness series and others can be found easily by browsing the shelves. It's surprising how much an early reader learns by looking at these books!

After a year of searching, we finally found a chapter book series that ds loves (for us, it's Magic Schoolbus). I keep hoping he will try other chapter books, but so far it's just Magic Schoolbus.

[kmacnchs]

I found a lot of picture encyclopedias in the nonfiction section of the library which he adores. There are all kinds of them, but he's a science-type, so he loves looking at lots of pictures with a small paragraph or caption underneath. Eyewitness series and others can be found easily by browsing the shelves. It's surprising how much an early reader learns by looking at these books!

that is such a great idea! I bet my dd would LOVE that! And it would be a good way for her to learn more sciency things (which I'm sure she'd love, I am just too lazy right now to do a science curriculum w/her now...)!

[aazam]

I think you may like this book for your 3yo. It has some pictures and poetry. The Spirit of a Poem by Aazam Yaqoob has poetry for all ages and I think a 3yo may like it for bed time stories. Here is the ISBN: 978-0974168913