ErinSo Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 My oldest is 4.5. She isn't reading yet, but knows letters and sounds. She is interested and picks out some words. She loves to be read to! We read lots and lots of picture books. We will continue that of course, but I was wondering when I should add in a chapter book reading experience? Suggestions for what to start with? P.S. We do already read Little Bear and Frog and Toad books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAR120C Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 My oldest is 4.5. She isn't reading yet, but knows letters and sounds. She is interested and picks out some words. She loves to be read to! We read lots and lots of picture books. We will continue that of course, but I was wondering when I should add in a chapter book reading experience? Suggestions for what to start with? P.S. We do already read Little Bear and Frog and Toad books. Give it a try - she might like it! My only caveat is that after having happily listened to dozens and dozens of chapter books (Paddington was a favorite), DS abruptly stopped wanting to hear anything with more than a few words on a page right about the time he was starting to work out the words himself. My theory is that he wanted to look over my shoulder and follow along, which he couldn't do with a whole page of text. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpyTheFrog Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 My son was closer to five before he was ready for chapter books. You could start with short stories without pictures such as Uncle Wiggily's Story Book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 I was reading chapter books to my kids by the time they were that age. I think we started with my daughter when she was about three, my son a little later. At that age, she loved A Little Princess and The Secret Garden. My husband read the first couple of Harry Potter books to her. She also like The Hobbit. My son enjoyed Harry Potter, too. He also enjoyed Roald Dahl books (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, etc.). At that age, I wouldn't expect a child to understand every word or to remember every book read. But they are certainly capable of enjoying listening, and I believe it helps begin the habit of reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Sure, go ahead! Just don't start with really hard books. I tried Detectives in Togas for my boys when they were newly 6 and 3.5. They were :001_huh: and had no clue what I was talking about, it seemed. They weren't ready for that kind of chapter book. I needed to start out easier. I backed up to things like The Mouse and the Motorcycle, some Lang's Fairy Tales, etc. NOW a year later, they can handle the harder chapter books (and my oldest read Detectives in Togas himself this past summer... he had no recollection of me reading it to him the summer before :lol:). Do continue the picture books also. Picture books are great for getting them ready to read themselves. They can see the words as you are reading them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 I can't remember which was first, but my kids are 4/5, and they have long since started hearing longer books. They've been through Little House in the Big Woods, Ribsy, Black Beauty, and some others (my sister does the long reading sessions so I can't remember all of them). I believe they are currently in the middle of Farmer Boy. You might also try the original versions of the Wizard of Oz and Pinocchio. Charlotte's Web is also very nice, but I asked my sister to wait until the kids could read that one on their own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nellecv Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 I started with my daughter around that age. (Maybe even a bit younger.) I found she loved chapter books as long as they had illustrations every 2 or 3 pages. She liked the Mouse and the Motorcycle books and LOVED Roald Dahl books. (I think we read every one of them. The vocabulary in those books is terrific!) We also read a lot of abridged children's classics like The Secret Garden and Pollyanna. We'll read the real versions in a couple of years when she can plow through the dense language more easily. Of course, despite all my careful book selection, she liked The Rainbow Fairy and Barbie chapter books as well! There's just no accounting for 4 year old taste! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nellecv Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 One more note: When you first start chapter books, you'll have to stop more frequently to explain things and check for understanding. It's easier for kids to zone out when there are no pictures, and kids are used to using the pictures to help understand what is going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roanna Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 My son turned 5 this summer and we read Charlotte's Web, then Beauty and the Beast, now we are doing Oliver Twist. I think it just depends on their interest. He is reading along with me though, I can tell when I am tired and miss a word he corrects me. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 I would start chapter book read alouds as soon as the kid can focus over longer periods of time and can keep track of the story when you stretch it over the course of several days/weeks. At aged 4, my DD listened to The Hobbit and DS to the Narnia Series. Read alouds can be quite a notch above a kid's own reading ability; they are great for building vocabulary. Normally, there would be a discrepancy between interest and reading ability; the beginning readers are not all that thrilling. Read alouds or audiobooks bridge that gap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyP Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 We started with Little House in the Big Woods when my two oldest had just turned 6 and 4. My oldest would have never sat through LH when she was 4 but my son had no problem. We went on to read Little House on the Prairie and Charlotte's Web that year. My Father's Dragon would also be a good book to start with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nov05mama Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 We started when he was around 4-4.5, and usually just a chapter or two at a time. My Father's Dragon was our first one I believe...another favorite was James & The Giant Peach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 I read the original Winnie-the-Pooh books to my daughter when she was three. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. A Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 We started when DS was about 3.5 or so. We began with Roald Dahl and then moved to other stuff. Charlotte's Web was a big hit (I think we've been through it about 4 times now) and so was Pinocchio. Right now we're reading the Wizard of Oz books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 We started around that age with Winnie the Pooh, Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, that sort of thing. I'd recommend saving the leveled readers (like Frog and Toad) for when she's learning to read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinSo Posted October 23, 2011 Author Share Posted October 23, 2011 Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merry gardens Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Since I have older children, the younger ones were exposed to my reading chapter books outloud since they were infants. I suggest you start with chapter books that contain stories within the story. Instead of seeming like one, long books, they read more like a series of adventures with the same characters as they progress through a larger plot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicagoshannon Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 We started chapter books when Madeline was about 3.5. We didn't do them too often. Now at 4.5 we have 2-3 going at once. She loved The Wizard of Oz (it is so different from the movie). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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