Leveled Readers vs. Regular Chapter Books

[Jazzy]

8 yo ds (turns 8 this month) has been on the slow side learning how to read. He is technically in second grade, but still making his way through the A Beka phonics 1 book. But he’s making steady progress, and I think he is doing fine.

 

I have some Level 1 & 2 readers - Danny and the Dinosaur, Mouse Soup, etc. for him. But he would rather struggle through more difficult books.

 

For example, today, during school he said he likes math, but reading is hard. Then he followed that up with saying he is going to read Little House on the Prairie after lunch.

 

Part of me feels like he should be able to work through it slowly if he’d like. But then, I also feel it would help him with fluency and his feeling that reading is “hard†to stick to the readers on his level.

 

Any thoughts?

[Kiara.I]

By all means keep working through the reader for "teaching reading." But I don't see any merit to telling him he cannot read for pleasure. That seems like it might be counter-productive, you know?

 

If he wants to read Little House on the Prairie then he'll be much more motivated to read when it's difficult, because he has the interest.

 

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[ElizabethB]

Actually, a leveled reader will have more irregular words than a chapter book, and will be harder for a phonics student, they are designed for people taught with sight words.  I would let him read the chapter book.

 

He can use my one page vowel and consonant chart to help, and I would give him a quick run through of my syllables spell success program so he has the tools to sound out any word, then continue with your normal phonics.  The chart is also linked from my syllables page.

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/syllablesspellsu.html

[HomeAgain]

A couple of thoughts:

 

-readers are good for reading lessons.  We use the leveled Elson readers for reading with mom because they build on each other and aren't hodge-podge, like the store bought numbered storybooks are.

 

-interest should guide free reading time.  By reading what he wants, he builds his vocabulary faster, which helps during his phonics-based lessons.

[MerryAtHope]

My son always wanted to read chapter books too, and really wasn't interested in many "beginning" reading books. We did a lot of buddy-reading with chapter books because of that. So, I'm with the others--keep working on lessons through A Beka, but let him read Little House if he wants to!

[Jazzy]

Thanks, all! He read a few more pages of LHOTP today and was so proud of himself. I’ll let him continue with it outside of our regular lessons. I’ll ask him tomorrow if he wants to tag team.

[PeachyDoodle]

My ds7 (who reads about the same level as your ds, from the sound of it) HATES leveled readers. Hates them. I found this list of picture books organized by grade level, and it has been so helpful for us! It helps me pick out "real" books that are around his reading level. I vary between picking books on his current level with books slightly below or above. He has surprised me with how much he has taken off since we started using this system. We still do his phonics curriculum as well, but we are gradually moving toward just reading books.

 

Here's a link to the list: http://www.pps.k12.or.us/curriculum/literacy/leveled_books/lb_grade_level.pdf

 

It required a little trial and error at first, but now I have a good grasp on what he's able to read and which ones will challenge him or or help him develop fluency. All that said, I'd never discourage a kid from reading "hard" books on his own if he wants to!

 

 

[Jazzy]

This is great, thank you!