mamashark Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 I have a 5 year old kid who has a really high vocabulary (according to speech evaluation) but due to other issues also prefers picture books to anything else right now...He can't handle the plot-line of chapter-books. We are working on it, but I'd love to find some picture books to get him for Christmas that are rich in higher-vocabulary. I'm sure such a think exists, I just don't know how to find them. Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 Do you think the lexile.com site could help? You can plug in reading level (or books you want to match), and then sort the books within the range by number of pages each has. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamashark Posted November 16, 2018 Author Share Posted November 16, 2018 thanks! that was a great idea! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porridge Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 In my library, they have a section if fairy tale picture books. Many of them have amazing illustrations and advanced vocabulary. You could see if your local library has a similar section. The librarian will probably be able to help you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 Quote He can't handle the plot-line of chapter-books. We are working on it, but I'd love to find some picture books to get him for Christmas that are rich in higher-vocabulary. He's five. This is not something you need to "work on" just yet. He SHOULD be reading picture books - and since most picture books are written as read-alouds, most of them have a good vocabulary level. (And it's okay to read books that don't have a "high vocabulary" if those are what interest him.) For specific recommendations... gosh, it's been a while! - try Jerdine Nolan, Audrey Wood (not all of hers, but many), Robert Munsch, Don Brown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamashark Posted November 17, 2018 Author Share Posted November 17, 2018 48 minutes ago, Tanaqui said: He's five. This is not something you need to "work on" just yet. He SHOULD be reading picture books - and since most picture books are written as read-alouds, most of them have a good vocabulary level. (And it's okay to read books that don't have a "high vocabulary" if those are what interest him.) For specific recommendations... gosh, it's been a while! - try Jerdine Nolan, Audrey Wood (not all of hers, but many), Robert Munsch, Don Brown. Sure I get your point. But I was vague - when I say he doesn't like chapter books I mean he screams and throws a fit if I try to read aloud to my other kids. So we have to work on it - we are starting at anxiety reduction and the ability to retell basic storylines. Stuff like that. In general we need to work on his tolerance of allowing me to read to his older sisters, his ability to handle a story. But a lot of the picture books I have on the shelf right now are simplistic and I need to expand that some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 Ohhhhhhhhh. That's entirely not what I thought, and I really, really apologize! I read that like "We want him to be reading chapter books already", which is an all-too-common attitude that I am convinced is counterproductive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 There are picture book versions of many of the Paddington Stories, and read-aloud illustrated versions of some of the Beverly Cleary books and similar older books. We found them at Barnes and Noble in the discount section when DD was at that stage. Also, old school readers-they often are more like picture books in text size and amount of print on the page, but are illustrated sections of children’s books. 3rd grade level was great for DD when she needed the picture book format, but wanted more in depth stories. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
domestic_engineer Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 Books by Allen Say or Patricia Polacco or Deborah Hopkinson. Today, we discovered Edison by Kuhlmann. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathnerd Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 Get him the "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" series by Mo Willems! That series has also branched off into Elephant and Piggy series. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamashark Posted November 17, 2018 Author Share Posted November 17, 2018 9 hours ago, Tanaqui said: Ohhhhhhhhh. That's entirely not what I thought, and I really, really apologize! I read that like "We want him to be reading chapter books already", which is an all-too-common attitude that I am convinced is counterproductive. No problem! I realize I was vague originally! and no harm done ? I've had so many professionals tell me how smart he is, and I hear it and see it myself, BUT he can't listen to a book past picture book stage. He can't watch a veggie tales movie (or anything else longer than preschool cartoons) either... but that one doesn't bother me nearly as much! I am not interested in pushing him into reading, in fact I'm teaching him to read REALLY slowly because he's got anxiety that creeps up there too... *sigh* it's a journey. But I really do want more advanced language in what we are reading so that he can at least HEAR better vocabulary and be more willing to let me read to him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamashark Posted November 17, 2018 Author Share Posted November 17, 2018 so many great suggestions! thanks ladies!! ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamashark Posted November 17, 2018 Author Share Posted November 17, 2018 Just now, HeighHo said: Do you read poetry to him? The old basal readers have appropriate selections that will help him use all his senses and visualize. Two more suggestions: Snowflake Bentley and Snowmen at Night I've not tried poetry - he never was willing to sit with us for poetry tea, I wonder if he would be willing to sit on the couch with me to read poetry... that's an idea... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 If you want an inbetween-ish type book, try ones by Candlewick or Sterling Press. DS8 is reading Pinocchio right now, this specific copy. It is the entire unabridged story. However, each chapter is 2 pages, lavishly illustrated, and mostly stands alone. The book does have a plot, but each chapter is a mini story. Also, we really like the Poetry for Young People set. ? Edward Lear is now one of ds's favorites, as is Lewis Carroll. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamashark Posted November 17, 2018 Author Share Posted November 17, 2018 1 hour ago, HeighHo said: I've never been successful with sitting with a young boy for poetry, it's almost as if they need to stand and move as they place themselves in the scene..it just can't be static. One is enough, as they say with games, quit while everyone is having fun. I wonder if he would enjoy a subscription to Skybrary? How is his imagination working? Does he paint, draw, tell stories, etc? Yes, good point. Imagination - he loves painting, more limited in drawing but he's coming back from a fine motor skill deficit (and is now on track for his age) and I'm starting to see him draw more. He doesn't like to tell stories, but he likes to act things out in play (with trains, cars, etc.). One thing we are currently working on is his ability to retell a sequence of events, he is very weak in his ability to narrate, whether it is something he did or something he's had read to him. He's more the logic kid than the imaginative kid - he loves games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah0000 Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 He might like acting out poetry. My kids like to do that with Shel Silverstein. For example, for The Crocodile's Toothache we took paper lunch bags and construction paper teeth to make crocodile jaws that slide on the arms. Then they can open and close the crocodile jaws and act out while reciting the poem. If that's too long you can start with nursery rhymes. The simplest one we do is putting a candlestick (flameless candle) on the floor and jumping over it while reciting Jack Be Nimble. Action packed fairytales are fun to act out and recreate as well. We often use Lincoln Logs to make the three little pigs houses and the kids like being the wolf to blow them down. That might help him with sequencing and retelling a story. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 Great ? Mo Willems is totally awesome, hands down - but the suggested books are Early Readers, really, and so not what you're looking for. They're the best early readers in the industry, but the vocabulary and grammar is perforce very simple. On another approach, have you considered wordless picture books? I feel these are really underutilized for pre-readers and young reluctant readers. I know it seems counterintuitive given your request, but you could take turns talking about the story that's going on and, on your turn, you could use whatever hifalutin' vocabulary you like. And they might well improve his ability to follow a story and tell it back. Poetry is also a really, really great idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 2 hours ago, Sarah0000 said: Action packed fairytales are fun to act out and recreate as well. We often use Lincoln Logs to make the three little pigs houses and the kids like being the wolf to blow them down. That might help him with sequencing and retelling a story. Our first narrations start out with "rule of 3" fairy/folk tales. Anything that has a repeating actions that changes slightly: 3 Pigs, Billy Goats Gruff, Goldilocks, Little Red Hen...acting them out is always a ton of fun and the repeating cue seemed to help mine remember what came next. (Our pigs used drinking straws, pick up sticks, and Legos. ? ) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinewarbler Posted December 1, 2018 Share Posted December 1, 2018 I agree with adding poetry into the mix. Shel Silverstein audiobooks, where Silverstein is doing the reading are great... he has crazy voices. I had things like this playing in the background when they were playiing.. For instance, in "A Light in the Attic" collection, he explains "How not to do the dishes" (ie. break them) or my favourite, "The Homework Machine" in which a boy has finally figured out how to get out of doing homework and it fails... in a funny way. I have always like this site for finding books at a particular levels... Book Wizard Our local library has an "advanced picture book" section with more complex stories and higher vocab levels. Re: wordless books... here is our all time favourite. You Choose It allows everyone reading to choose THEIR favourite item on that page and then you can have discussions about why you chose that one. For eg. "If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?" The page is covered in dozens of options.. islands, castle, forest etc with lots of details. I would explain why I chose an island, and then the kids would take turns explaining theirs. Many interesting conversations came out of reading that book... and we read that book for 6-8 years! Wordless books could be the first step towards good narration skills... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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