In the face of declining reading skills, many parents actively look for ways to mold their children into lifelong readers. Research consistently shows that one of the best ways to achieve that is by reading together. This begs the question, however: how do you find the right book for your child? Choosing texts your children will find accessible yet stimulating enough to really stretch them can be a challenge. Here are some ways to choose books that make reading time both enjoyable and useful.

Sparking Joy

Children are more likely to read when they care about a topic. Whether your child is interested in animals, sports, or art, choosing a book that connects to those interests can make reading feel more enjoyable and less like a chore.

Medium or format matters here as well. Newer readers and visual learners might prefer graphic novels, while children who enjoy language itself might be interested in poetry. Reading regularly and with more confidence might allow your child to begin reading across more diverse formats eventually.

Choosing books that match your child’s interests can also help boost engagement. Young readers are likelier to continue reading when they encounter unfamiliar words or challenging concepts in a book they find intriguing to begin with. Research on the topic demonstrates that children are more likely to remain focused when they read material they find interesting than when they read texts towards which they have neutral attitudes.

Team up with the Literacy Experts

Luckily you don’t have to figure this out alone. Your child’s school district is packed with professionals, and understanding the resources available to you is important.

Classroom teachers: Consulting with teachers can be a great way to gauge your child’s reading level before selecting books. They can give you an accurate snapshot of your child’s current reading level and suggest specific titles. Remember that educators are working with grade-level appropriate texts in classrooms themselves!

School librarians: Librarians at your child’s school understand best what titles and series are popular with different age groups and can help recommend hidden gems based on your child’s specific interests. Just sending a quick email to your school librarian asking for recommendations on different topics can help kickstart your shared reading journey.

Reading specialists and case managers: If your child struggles with reading, these professionals can offer targeted guidance. Communicating with reading specialists and case managers can help prevent you from choosing texts that might be too challenging for your child.

While You Read

Reading together with your child in a structured environment can be helpful as well. In this environment, monitoring how a child engages with the text is key. Important things to look out for include if your child encounters too many unfamiliar terms, consistently stops to decode terms, is frequently frustrated, or exhibits difficulty understanding context. On the other hand, fluency and consistent engagement with the text are often signs that the book is at an appropriate reading level.

Sometimes it can be too easy to adopt a “sunken cost” approach, where it might feel like an obligation to stick to a book you have already started. It is important to avoid that and simply stop reading a book if it isn’t clicking with your child! If your child is losing interest, reading becomes a battle, or comprehension remains low, it might be time to look for another book. Think of reassessing and changing books as being about finding a better match instead of giving up.

Happy Reading!

Finding that “just right” book can be a journey of trial and error, but it’s not one you have to take alone. Consult with educators and experts, trust the science, and follow your child’s lead. Once time with a book starts to feel less like a chore and more like a choice, you are demonstrating that reading is an adventure worth undertaking.

References

Anderson, R. C., Shirey, L. L., Wilson, P. T., & Fielding, L. G. (2021). Interestingness of children's reading material. In Aptitude, learning, and instruction (pp. 287-300). Routledge.

Lawson, B. (n.d.). What is the science of reading? The Reading League. https://www.thereadingleague.org/what-is-the-science-of-reading/

Noble, C., Cameron-Faulkner, T., Jessop, A., Coates, A., Sawyer, H., Taylor-Ims, R., & Rowland, C. F. (2020). The impact of interactive shared book reading on children's language skills: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 63(6), 1878-1897.