DD9 only wants to read picture books.

[ChristusG]

How can I get DD9 to want to read books that are more along her reading level? I don't mind picture books.... I think they are wonderful. But I'd like her to sometimes read something besides the Bernstein Bears. We have many chapter books. But getting her to read something that I choose is like pulling teeth. So I let her choose. Same outcome. How do you get a child to want yo read what they are capable of?

[Lori D.]

How can I get DD9 to want to read books that are more along her reading level? I don't mind picture books.... I think they are wonderful. But I'd like her to sometimes read something besides the Bernstein Bears. We have many chapter books. But getting her to read something that I choose is like pulling teeth. So I let her choose. Same outcome. How do you get a child to want yo read what they are capable of?

 

We did assigned school reading and free reading.

 

Assigned school reading we read books of my choosing that were at their reading level, or a little above their reading level. We read these books aloud together, popcorn-style ("you read a page, I read a page") for about 20 minutes.

 

If you want to quietly encourage a slightly higher level of reading or a different choice of books, then you could also include a 30-minute silent reading time slot in your daily school schedule. Put out a basket of books that you want to encourage, and DD chooses from the basket for this solo reading time. You could put a selection of your many chapter books in the basket.

 

Make a special, cozy book nook that only gets to be used for this solo reading -- pillows, blankets, a curtain, stuffed animals...

 

You may want to couple that required solo reading time with a reading incentive program -- maybe something like the Pizza Hut Book-It program, Book Adventure, etc. Another option might be to couple her solo reading with a fun monthly book club with a few other girls her age, with book discussion, a matching activity or two, a snack, etc. -- knowing other girls will be reading it so they can all talk about it together may encourage DD to enjoy the chapter books. Or, another option would be to have DD gets to add a special sticker to a chart, or draw a picture/add an element for the book on a board game she gets to create that incorporates something from the book she read.

 

Free reading is just that -- the child is free to read what they chose. For our DSs, up through age 9-10, that was often Where's Waldo, Eye Spy, Calvin & Hobbes, and other picture books or book series that were below their reading level. At this age it is fine for children to read books below their reading level as their independent choices, as it builds reading familiarity, confidence, and speed in reading.

 

You might see if you can help her pick some books from several series the next time you're at the library and see if that connects for her -- Enchanted Forest Chronicles (Wrede), Stink (McDonald), Dragon Slayers Academy (McMullan)... whatever type of book clicks for her.

 

 

One last thought is to have DD's eyes checked -- not only standard vision tests, but also to make sure there are no eye tracking issues or processing issues that are making reading difficult and uncomfortable.

 

BEST of luck! Warmly, Lori D.

[mom31257]

I give assigned school reading as well. Ds doesn't love to read, so I started a book club. It has helped me be accountable to myself to make sure he is reading classic children's fiction. Some of the books are above his reading level. This year, I'm assigning some simple historical fiction to go along with our American History study. I am using books that are probably a little below his reading level, so those are easy and he is able to read them on his own.

[houseofkids&pets]

 _{I know that you are looking for ways to encourage your dd to read more difficult books, but I thought I would offer you some other alternatives. I recently purchased a few resources that use picture books to teach literary devices.}

 

_{1) Using Picture Books to Teach 8 Essential Literary Elements (Susan Van Zile, Mary Napoli, and Emily Ritholz)}

_{2) Teaching Literary Elements With Picture Books (Van Zile & Napoli)}

_{3) Using Picture Storybooks to Teach Literary Devices Vol. 2 (Susan Hall)}

 

_{The first two books are from Scholastic and focus on the basics (setting, plot, point of view, theme, foreshadowing, figurative language, etc.) The third book is a general resource that lists books and authors that can be used to teach a specific literary device (alliteration, personification, etc.).}

 

_{Lori D. gave some great suggestions.}

 

_{Good luck!}

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

Dd will go on picture book spurts. I figure I give her assigned reading so if she wants to relax with quick reads I let her. However I do make sure the picture books are not geared to beginner readers but are more harder to read. Magic School Bus level books are great for this age. There are Math Mysteries and other harder to read Step into Reading type books that are geared to 2nd-4th. Some things you might want to suggest are the Arthur, Berenstain Bears, Amelia Bedilia, and Fancy Nancy chapter books. DD loves reading the picture books versions of these and was excited to find they had chapter books versions too.

 

 

[geodob]

One question is whether she is using the pictures to help to guess what the words are as she reads?

 

Though another question, is whether she can read something and form her own mental picture in her mind?

You could try describing something to her, and ask her if she can picture it?

Given her resistance to reading without pictures, it suggests that she is relying on the pictures in some way when reading?

[Stuart]

I use to worry about this too. I was speaking to the librarian about picture books recently. My son loves them and I had the notion of "baby" books. While we spoke the librarian explained to me there are many picture books written on a higher level than beginner chapter books. She convinced me they are so many not to be missed great picture books.

We are currently doing Teaching Literary Elements with picture books by scholastic and are loving it! It's a great snuggle up curriculum.

[houseofkids&pets]

_{:iagree: Teaching Literary Elements was one of the books I recommended.}

[Stuart]

House I was just checking out the rest of your recs! I love etching like this.

[Farrar]

Obviously the Berenstain Bears is a bit on the less literary, more groan-inducing end, but picture books can be at a much higher reading level for this age group than chapter books and even many middle grades novels.  I try to think of them as short stories for the middle-elementary set.  

 

A couple of things occur to me.  One, those Berenstain Bears books kind of have a predictable formula.  So if that's what she's really gravitating toward - the predictable formula series books - then I would just start by pushing slightly higher level formula books on her.  Did she ever run through a chapter book series like Magic Treehouse or Secrets of Droon?  I know we all tend to poo-poo that sort of thing at this age, but really, reading repetitive plots is how kids build reading fluency and learn plot elements.  It's good for kids.  And if you're reading aloud more difficult stuff or having her listen on audiobook, then she's getting the more complex stories and vocabulary from them and I wouldn't fret.  She'll get there as long as she's reading consistently.

 

On the other hand, if it's just the format, then I would push harder picture books on her.  Look at Patricia Polacco, William Steig, Chris Van Allsburg, Richard Platt's Diary series, Peter Sis, Allen Say, Jon Muth, etc.  You could also look at biography and nonfiction picture books, which are often geared toward this age instead of toward younger kids.  You could have her reading nice picture book editions of fairy tales and folk tales, which, again, usually have a good reading level for this age group.

 

My kids went through a picture book stage last year, at age 8.  They read a ton of them for a few months and then moved on.  So I wouldn't worry it's permanent or anything.  It may be something developmental more than anything else.  I'm always amazed how young nostalgia sets in, you know?

[Karen in CO]

I'm going to repeat some of what has already been said.  My kids have been through this, and there are some great picture books you can use to bridge this gap.  I have always thought with my kids that this was a gap in confidence.  For my youngest who had actual reading problems,  we worked our way through favorite books first.  She started at Honey, Honey, Lion (beautifully, illustrated with predictable and repeated phrases) when she first turned  8 then went through We're Going on a Bear Hunt.  Then she moved into books like Hats for Sale.  Then up to Blueberries for Sal and Make Way for Ducklings.  After tackling books like those, Droon is a piece of cake and where we are today (she'll turn 9 this month) at forced reading for 15 minutes a day until she finishes every darn Droon.  Older dd read Magic Tree House and Judy Moody then jumped into Little Women backed up to Harry Potter tripped through girly dystopia and spent last summer reading everything Doyle wrote (at least twice).  DS went from Captain Underpants to reading whatever he wanted and is now a healthy, adult that reads Churchill for fun.  There is a phase in there between being able to read and being confident enough to pick up books and read them on your own.  It takes patience from us and time and experience for the kids.

[Alte Veste Academy]

First of all, I agree that high quality picture books are valuable and that, as a general rule, kids quit them too early. That said...

 

Do you read chapter books aloud? My kids made the leap from reading picture books to chapter books when I read something aloud that was so good they just had to know what happened next. They picked the book up to keep reading before I was even out of the room. It may take a while to find just the right hook, but when you do, she will beg you to read "just one more chapter!?" Then you say, "Sorry, that's it for tonight, but you can keep reading if you really must know what happens."

 

After a while, this strategy can backfire though. DD and I were reading Ella Enchanted together last week, then she ditched me right when it got good. Finished it in one night. LOL

[Lolly]

Agreeing that you can make the jump to more advanced picture books. There are plenty of them out there. If the size of the book or the text is intimidating her, it is a wonderful way to encounter marvelous literature. I truly think that we have our children quit picture books way too early! 

[Soror]

To agree with everyone else I would:

1) encourage more difficult/enriching picture books during official reading time- taking turns would be great here as pp suggested

2) read more chapter books- how is she at listening to chapter books? If she is able to listen to these well and is just not ready to read them yet I wouldn't worry, but if not I would work on this skill. I think it is much easier to work on the skill of understanding chapter books by listening w/out also having to work on decoding at the same time.

 

As long as you are reading to her and are gently nudging her towards more difficult books I think she will get there in her own time.

 

AVA- There have a few books I haven't let ds take off with so *I* can read it with him, I love to keep him waiting for more :)

[LibraryLover]

Lots of good ideas in this thread!

 

What about illustrated chapter books for a bit? Some kids feel intimidated by the dense text of chapter books. They seem much longer than they are and that scares some.

[twoxcell]

We do daily required reading and I pick the books for the most part. I let my oldest choose books from a selection that I have chosen. I think I would get her a stack of I can Read and Step into reading books, and have her read aloud to you daily from these moving up through difficulty as you go. The later books in the series are beginning chapter books. They still have the pictures and larger font, so similar to picture books, but more like a chapter book. Once she builds up her fluency begin transitioning to books like the Ready For Chapters series and go on to regular chapter books from there. This is one thing I like about the HOD Emergent Readers they transition kids nicely into chapter books. She can read as many picture books as she wants during free time.

[MerryAtHope]

I'm another that had "required" reading and then "free" reading. My dd read picture-books for years, loved them! (For that matter, I did too as a child). She moved on when she was ready, and has read all kinds of other books now (she's currently working through all of the Louisa May Alcott books). Let her read what she enjoys! It builds fluency and a love for reading. I knew our school reading provided meatier chapter books, as well as our read-alouds.