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Need advice for my neice - how to get her hooked on reading.


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My Sister-in-law has asked me for advice with her dd. She is in first grade and is reading really well. However, she isn't loving it. She *can* read chapter books, but prefers picture books. Is there a good series for girls that would help hook her on reading? Or, would you suggest just letting her read picture books, continue to read chapter books out loud and just let it go? Or, assign chapter books for a certain amount of time/day? Whaddya think?

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The series that pushed DD into the love of reading was "The Little House on the Prairie" beginning chapter books. These are not the massive story books we all grew up on, but instead are smaller excerpts of the big books. If I remember correctly they still had full page pictures every few pages, so it might be a good transitioning series.

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Picture books are typically more difficult to read than beginning chapter books because it is often assumed that a parent will be doing the reading aloud. Also, picture books tend to have more interesting story lines and richer vocabulary than an early chapter book. Not too mention the pictures! A beautifully illustrated picture book beats just about any early chapter book hands down for drawing a child into a love of books.

 

Also, I'd send her a copy of The Read Aloud Handbook and encourage her to start reading chapter books aloud. Reading aloud is really what has hooked my kids to love reading.

 

A series her dd might enjoy are the American Girls chapter books. They are good historical fiction stories.

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I'd keep letting her read picture books at will while doing a chapter book read-aloud in the evenings. She can take turns with her mom - she can read a paragraph, and mom can read a couple of pages.

 

The Mercy Watson books are very cute early chapter books with big colorful pictures - they seemed like a nice, easy transition into reading longer books.

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My son was an early reader but he was intimidated by chapter books for a while. I would let him keep reading whatever books she wants. I would start her out with som easy chapter books that don't feel overwhleming (like Magic Treehouse books or something.) I would also let her stay up a bit later at night if she were reading chapter books. "Bigger kids get to stay up later reading, so when you want to read chapter books, you can stay up a little later." Sometimes my kids still like to check out some of their old favorite picture books. We call it "visiting old friends." :-)

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I would also let her stay up a bit later at night if she were reading chapter books. "Bigger kids get to stay up later reading, so when you want to read chapter books, you can stay up a little later."

 

I almost forgot about this! We let Becca have "quiet reading time" before bed and I made a big deal about her reading books that require bookmarks. ;)

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