Reading with a Kid

So your child loves books! And he's being taught reading in school! You can relax and slide through! The experts are taking care of it. . .but like all things parenting, the situation is a bit more complex. Your kindergartener to second grader still needs your help.

• Continue reading to your son or daughter. Picture books, chapter books, the back of cereal boxes, it all emphasizes the importance of reading in everyday life. 

• Encourage your child to sit down with a book of his own -- and let him see you doing the same. Consider instituting a "family reading time."
• As her reading skills grow, you may be tempted to push her to read harder and thicker books. Let her go at her own pace! Some kids need a while to feel comfortable with chapter books.
• Stories aren't the only way to improve literacy skills. Encourage your kid to read non-fiction books about interesting things. The text is often broken up in small chunks and brightened with pictures.

When you bring you child to the library:

• Sign them up for their own card and give them a sense of ownership.
• If you're not sure about a book, try the Rule of Three: open to a random page and have your child read starting at the top. If he stumbles over more than three vocabulary words on the page, it may not be the best book at the moment.
• Ask a librarian. We're happy to share new series or arrivals or introduce your new reader to old favorites.

Note: Library books are not organized according to Lexile levels or other leveled reading approaches, but we'll get you that information if we can.

Some books your 5 to 7 year old might enjoy: