| Choosing children's books, or any book for our | | | | right' in the future. |
| children is a challenge which should be met with | | | | If the books in the 'too hard' category are books |
| care. Aside from their purely entertainment | | | | that we own, or belong to a sibling, then it is also |
| content, books can stimulate a lifelong interest in | | | | very important to explain to our child that he or |
| the child that wasn't originally there, or even | | | | she is still allowed to look at them, to see if they |
| suggest a direction in life which the child could | | | | are getting any easier to read. No book, unless its |
| take later on. | | | | morally questionable, or plainly unsuitable should be |
| It is my view that carefully chosen fiction or non | | | | off-limits to the interested young reader. |
| fiction books have the potential to radically shape | | | | I say this because I remember taking a book |
| a young mind! Perhaps more so than any other | | | | down from a shelf as a child and being told 'not to |
| form of media, because, for one thing, a book | | | | touch it' because 'daddy wouldn't be too happy if I |
| tends to have longevity. It sits on the shelf at | | | | did.' (Jammy fingers probably had something to do |
| home silently demanding to be picked up, until | | | | with this!) As I recall the book was an old annual |
| eventually it is. | | | | of 'Boys Own paper' -The Bop, which would have |
| Other forms of media are more fleeting, get lost | | | | been quite fascinating to look at. |
| more easily, or conveys its message too quickly | | | | Books in the 'just right' catagory tend to have |
| as a so-called 'blip'. But books tend to have a | | | | only a couple of unfamiliar words on a page, which |
| resilience and a staying power that, perhaps, | | | | is still understandable to the child. Books which are |
| other forms of media don't have. This equally | | | | 'too easy' tend to be the old favourites. In some |
| applies to children's books, with an especial | | | | cases, passages from these books are virtually |
| emphasis on reading books as opposed to picture | | | | memorised word for word by the child and do |
| books. More importantly, a book in the 'hand', | | | | not present a challenge. |
| enables the reader to control the assimilation of | | | | To arrive at your assessment of the relative |
| information at his or her own pace. They can also | | | | readability of books, have your child read three or |
| be deliberately placed in the way of a child by a | | | | four pages, and make a note of words they don't |
| discerning adult, whereas output from other media | | | | understand, and ask them if they can explain the |
| streams is based on an agenda which is not | | | | text in their own words. If more than three |
| necessarily educational! So exactly what books | | | | words a page are unknown to them, the book is |
| should we place in our child's path? And should we | | | | still a candidate if the child's comprehension of the |
| also allow them to make some of the choices? | | | | text is adequate. The book will be readable and |
| The answer to the second question is almost | | | | still pose a challenge at the same time. |
| obvious in retrospect. A child must practice his or | | | | Books which are outside the scope of your young |
| her decision making faculty if it is to successfully | | | | reader will make themselves immediately obvious |
| run its own life later on. Decision making is an | | | | if you use this method. If a child's comprehension |
| important life skill which must be practiced. And so | | | | of the text is poor, then it is clear that the book |
| somehow, we have to instill this ability into our | | | | is unsuitable. By a process of elimination you'll end |
| offspring, and empower them to distinguish | | | | up with a shortlist of suitable reads for your child. |
| between right and wrong decisions. | | | | However, the whole process can be done quite |
| Latest findings suggest that choosing a book is an | | | | quickly, and if in a bookshop, can be a question of |
| excellent way for a child to practice this process | | | | assessing a couple of pages to judge the |
| and to appreciate the consequence of its actions. | | | | suitability of the book in hand. |
| It is also an approach which is finding favour with | | | | The next step is to teach your child to make this |
| teachers, who are the source of this information | | | | assessment on their own, perhaps using a piece |
| in the first place. There appear to be considerable | | | | of paper to make notes when choosing books in |
| benefits in allowing children to choose books for | | | | a library. Have your child write down the title of |
| themselves. | | | | the book, followed a count of the words not |
| It has been found that children who are allowed | | | | understood on a randomly chosen book page. |
| to do this, tend to spend more time reading both | | | | Then have your child read a page and have him |
| in the class and at home. It seems to provides | | | | or her write down either 'H' for hard to |
| them with the strong spur to keep on reading as | | | | understand, 'E' for too easy to understand, or 'OK' |
| they progress through school. | | | | for just right. See example below: |
| Unsurprisingly, a child that reads more, develops | | | | Book 1. 'Tom Sawyer.' 4 words (not understood). |
| its reading ability and expands his or her | | | | OK |
| vocabulary and reading fluency. But without a | | | | Book 2. 'The Pyewiz and the Amazing Mobile |
| proper strategy for comparing and choosing | | | | Phone.' 2 words (not understood). OK |
| children's books, the art of decision making in this | | | | Book 3. 'Little Dorrit.' 8 words (not understood). H |
| area could become lopsided. | | | | Book 4. 'Dr Suess.' 0 words (not understood). E |
| The child may develop a preference for choosing | | | | A choice can then be sensibly made based upon |
| unchallenging reading matter which would slow up | | | | the child's own assessment. The important point |
| or even permanently stunt its progress. The | | | | being that your child's reading skills can only grow |
| prevalence of words in common usage can | | | | and develop if they are moderately challenged. |
| render less common words obsolete at this level, | | | | If the text from the test pages of a book can be |
| at least where every day conversations and | | | | comprehended, but the vocabulary is challenging, |
| everyday reading is concerned. It can then turn | | | | then this would be a good choice. But if there are |
| into a bad habit! | | | | difficulties with comprehension, then unchallenging |
| Certainly, vocabulary at a certain level can be | | | | vocabulary won't make the reading any easier. In |
| intimidating. But words like 'perdiction', 'inalienable', | | | | this instance it would be better to choose those |
| 'tablature' etc, are still relevant and in use, but | | | | books whose text is best comprehended. |
| have to be grown into by the reader. At some | | | | In my own experience, when I was nine, my |
| point they have to be put within the reader's | | | | father took control of my reading and sat me |
| range, preferably at the earliest possible moment, | | | | down with the works of William Shakespeare, |
| because a college education isn't always an option, | | | | expecting me to learn passages by heart! At that |
| and an individual may grow up developing a stigma | | | | age, it was pure gobbledegook! And although I |
| towards more complex language. | | | | managed to memorise parts of various speeches, |
| I personally know of a woman who feels | | | | they made absolutely no sense to me. My father |
| intimidated when she is in the presence of people | | | | obviously had a better understanding of the bard, |
| who 'talk nice' or speak as if 'they have | | | | and tried to impart this to me, but it was no |
| swallowed the dictionary.' And this is because she | | | | substitute for my being able to read and |
| only progressed to a certain level of reading | | | | comprehend the text for myself. And although I |
| fluency, when possibly it could have been | | | | acquired some archaic vocabulary, it didn't help |
| encouraged more by the system or by someone | | | | my overall comprehension of what I was reading. |
| at home. | | | | In this instance, the choice of reading material |
| And so how can we as discerning parents | | | | was too challenging, and should have been |
| lubricate the cog wheels a little, and gently push | | | | abandoned for something more commensurate |
| our children towards higher and higher reading | | | | with my abilities. Comprehension is therefore |
| plateaus? | | | | vitally important to the above method. |
| Two approaches, which dovetail nicely into one | | | | Once the child learns to make choices, it is a good |
| another are suggested as a means of choosing | | | | idea for you, as the parent to make |
| children's books or reading books in general. | | | | 'recommendations', but this can only be |
| One is known as the 'Goldilocks method' and the | | | | implemented if the parent is aware of suitable |
| other doesn't have a name as such, but could be | | | | books to recommend. It is therefore a good idea |
| thought of simply as parent guided reading. | | | | to have a stock of books in the home on a wide |
| Applying the 'Goldilocks method, instead of | | | | variety of subjects. These can easily be obtained |
| shoving a pile of books in front of a young reader | | | | from a second hand book shop where prices suit |
| and saying, 'which one do you want?', we should | | | | any budget. Reference books tend to be more |
| try and get them to make comparisons. Like | | | | expensive but are well worth the purchase. |
| Goldilocks who, tried out the porridge and found it | | | | Obviously the wider the choice, the better for our |
| to be either 'too hot', 'too cold', or 'just right' etc, | | | | child. Books on a narrow range of subjects may |
| we explain to our children that some books may | | | | fail to make the desired impact. So breadth and |
| be, 'too easy', some 'too hard' and others 'just | | | | width of material is what is required, but guidelines |
| right,'. We then show them examples of books in | | | | as to the suitability of certain subjects can be |
| these categories, and make the important point | | | | obtained from your local school or educational |
| that books which are 'too hard' today will be 'just | | | | authority. |