How do you choose which books your child will read?

[lighthouseacademy]

I did not have much guidance in my reading as a child. As a result, I always did what was easy and filled my mind with way too much twaddle and not enough substance even though as a young child I liked the substance books better... Now I realize that I am sorely lacking in a classical background and I am trying to provide that to my children... I feel like a hypocrite and failure here floundering in the unknown. I need help!

 

So, how do you decide which books are important to read and how do you go about assigning which will be read aloud and which will be silent school reading? How do you help guide your kids towards good books for free reading?

 

:bigear:

[RoughCollie]

When my kids were your kids' ages, we used Five in a Row curriculum. I cannot say enough good things about it. Here's a link if you want to look at their website.

 

http://www.fiveinarow.com/

 

As for other books in later years, we checked out Sonlight's lists and suggestions on these boards and on the FIAR boards, TWTM, plus DH and I have extensive knowledge about children's books, so it was easier for us.

 

We've always had tons of children's books here at home (we also have a bookstore) and we didn't guide their reading, per se, because they read what was available. For modern fiction, when the kids were old enough to select books with which I was not familiar, I relied on our children's librarian for advice because she knew more about the books' content than I did.

[lighthouseacademy]

I have heard wonderful things about FIAR but my oldest is bored by younger books- he reads and comprehends at almost a 4th grade level although he just turned 6. He has read almost every Magic Treehouse book, read Homer Price (after I read it aloud), is reading Henry and Ribsy and Ralph S. Mouse right now.

I will keep an eye on the lists you gave though.

[angela in ohio]

I sit down and do research and come up with lists. Then, when I am at a book sale or the library, I can pick what is good. I spent several years when dc were younger sneaking off to library sales and used book stores. I built a great library of literature for them, so that they can choose books from it, but I still know that they are quality literature.

[WTMindy]

I told my kids that there are different categories of books that they can read...

 

1. Well written books (the classics...I use Honey for a Child's Heart or my own experience to find these)

2. Books that have redeeming characteristics for some other reason. Maybe they aren't very well written but they have good history in them (like Magic Treehouse when the kids were younger) or books that are spiritually encouraging.

 

The best is if they fit more than of the categories. Books that don't pass the test for me are books like Babysitter's club, that have nothing redeeming to them (although I don't think they are bad).

[Jenny in Atl]

I worked in bks stores for about ten years, so I had plenty picked out even before they were born! There are many resources to help you from the WTM to ALA book lists. Most sites like Amazon and Barnes and Noble have costumer reviews for newer fiction and non fiction. Find a friend that has similar values to your own and ask what they are reading with their kids. With all the wonderful bks out there, it's hard to go wrong with a little bit of research.

[klmama]

Sonlight, Veritas Press, 1000 Good Books List, Honey for a Child's Heart, lists in the SOTW activity guides, plus good books I enjoyed as a child. Between all of those, plus the good things I find in the library or recommended here and on the curriculum board, my dc always have plenty of good books to read.

[klmama]

Ambleside Online has great lists, too.

[TCoppock]

The above posts have some great resources but wanted to add one more that I use: Books to build on : a grade-by-grade resource guide for parents and teachers By E.D. Hirsch

 

This is from the Core Knowledge Series people.