How to Choose Just Right Books for Kids .... Using the Goldilocks Strategy

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Is your child having a problem choosing a Just Right Book?  Use some of these strategies to choose a book.

Too Easy Books

Ask yourself these questions:  

1. Have you read it lots of times before?

2.  Do you understand the story (test) very well?

3.  Do you know and understand almost every word?

4.  Can you red it smoothly?

If you are answering YES, this book is probably Too Easy Book for you.  Have fun reading it!  Too easy books are great for practicing fluency (reading smoothly).... even if the book is memorized!   Too Easy books are considered independent readers.

Just Right Books

Ask your self these questions:  

1.  Is this book new to you?

2.  Do you understand what you've read so far?

3.  Are there just a few words per page you don't know?

4.  When you read are some places smooth and some choppy?

5.  Can someone help you with this book?  Who?

If you answering YES, this book is probably a Just Right Book for you. Go ahead and learn from it.  Just rights are considered instructional - with just a few words to work on!  They can use the words on the page to help them figure out the unknown words.

Too Hard Books

Ask yourself these questions:  

1.  Are there more than a few words on a page you don't know?

2.  Are you confused about what is happening in most of this book?

3.  When you read, does it sound pretty choppy (like a robot)?

4.  Is everyone else busy and unable to help you?

If you are answering YES, this book is probably a Too Hard Book for you.  Give it another try later or have an adult read it to you!  Too hard books are considered frustrational (you can't learn anything if you're too frustrated by the book!)

Happy Reading!

From "Lessons from Goldilocks:  Somebody's Been Choosing My Books But I can Make My Own Choices Now"  by M. Ohlhausen and M. Jepsen.  The New advocate, Vol. 5, No. 1, Winter 1992.  Norwood, MA, Christopher- Gordon Publishers, Inc.