Are there books a young reader should read for themselves?

[skueppers]

I went to the library today with my 5-year-old so we could pick out a book for her to read herself. I suggested a book I thought she would particularly enjoy (The Bravest Dog Ever), and she thought it sounded great, so we checked it out. Note that it isn't unusual for us to go to the library for this purpose, nor is it unusual for her to pick a book based on my suggestion.

 

Later, she decided she'd rather have me read this particular book out loud to her, because it sounds so wonderful that she wants to hear it fast, the way I would read it, rather than slow, the way she would read it.

 

So what's the problem? The problem is that I really want her to read this particular book for herself. I don't care if she reads it now or a year from now, but I don't want to read it to her. I am, of course, perfectly happy to read lots of other books out loud to her.

 

Have you ever been in this situation? Am I just being ridiculous?

 

This is the first time she's ever decided she'd rather have me read a book that she specifically intended to read for herself. It's also the first time I have ever felt that there was a book I really wanted her to read for herself. Of course!

[Jean in Newcastle]

I think you need to let her decide when and what to read by herself. She's only 5 - don't worry she'll be reading to herself before you know it.

[Kathleen in VA]

I think you need to let her decide when and what to read by herself. She's only 5 - don't worry she'll be reading to herself before you know it.

 

:iagree:5 is so young. I'd just read the book to her and let her decide which ones she wants to read on her own. I had the opposite problem. There were books I wanted to read to my dd and she read them on her own. I wanted to share the experience with her, but she just raced through them (the LIttle House series).

 

If you really, really, really want her to read it on her own you could start reading the first few pages aloud and then set it down while you run to the bathroom or go make a cup of coffee or whatever and see if she "takes the bait" as it were. She may decide she can't wait for you to return and start reading where you left off. If she doesn't go for it, I'd just keep reading it aloud and wait for another book to come along she will want to read on her own.

[Daisy]

Options.

 

Read it to her and then let her read it to herself another day.

 

Take turns. You read a page, she reads a page.

 

Tell her that if she reads it first, you'll read it aloud to her afterward.

 

Read it to her but tell her she has to read it her Dad (or other relative) later.

[aggieamy]

Tell her that if she reads it first, you'll read it aloud to her afterward

 

I do a lot of this. For some reason my DSD wants me to read her everything even though she's a good reader. I get tired of reading a lot of the early chapter books (MTH and such) so I tell her that I'll read her a chapter from it later on if she'll read it first. Normally she'll read it and then I can just read a chapter later on or after reading it herself she'll decide to just reread it herself and I'm off the hook.

 

Just to add, so nobody thinks that I don't read to the kids, I do a lot of reading aloud I just dread reading some books and would rather spend my reading aloud time on things like fun picture books or Roald Dahl books rather than MTH or Owl at Home.

[skueppers]

Thanks for the reality check. I'll read her the book, unless she changes her mind about it tomorrow. :)

[Brenda in FL]

I'd just go ahead and reas it - chances are efter you read it - she'll probably read it herself again!

 

Don't forget - a child's reading comprehension takes quite a bit of time to catch up to their reading/decoding ability.

 

I distinctly remember as a child listening to my mom read a book that I had already read and I would hear parts of the story that I never remembered reading!!

 

The story she hears when you read it, may seem like a very different story than when she read it herself!

[Rivka]

I think I need to ease off on my own position about this. My rule has been that there are "reading time" books and there are regular books. If it has "An I Can Read Book" on the cover (or the Cat in the Hat on the back, or whatever), it's a reading time book, it goes in the reading time basket, and I don't read it out loud until after she's read it to me. I will, however, read other books until my tongue falls off.

 

Now that my daughter is reading "reading time" books pretty fluently and is starting to try to puzzle out other books (thank you, Laurie Keller, for the strong motivation!), I think I should probably back off my rule.