Easy Readers

There are usually three things I require everyday from Sophie before she can play a computer game or watch a movie.

1. She has to read me a book
2. She has to color me a picture related to the book we read (This is a form of naration)
3. She has to write a short phrase or do some copy work

Today she read me The Storm by Cynthia Rylant. (Only half the book today we will finish it tomorrow). This was a book I picked up at the library last week because I saw them listed here on Cellista's blog. This is the 2nd of this Lighthouse series that Sophie has read aloud to me and we have really enjoyed them. I like that the words challenge her. And that it is getting ever so close to being a "real chapter book". This is what she calls the books I read aloud to her. We picked up 2 of these Lighthouse series books at the library today. She got reallly excited about The Octopus. It will be difficult to get her to finish The Storm tomorrow rather than start The Octopus.


While at the library I was looking through the easy reader section and realized that there are a whole lot of choices out there and some of those that we have brought home just haven't been that exciting. While others are fun but demand much by way of vocabulary. We started with ones that I remembered reading as a kid. Like Frog and Toad books. She loved these for awhile but they got to be too simple for her. She wanted more substance to the stories. Ian likes to have these read to him.

We also really love Nate the Great. These are fun reads and Sophie is always trying to figure out the case before Nate does. My kids also relate to Nate's love of pancakes. Ian will sit and listen to Sophie read these to him. We usually end up with one or two of these in the library bag each week as well. These are also short enough for Sophie to read the entire book rather than just a few chapters.


One book series that I had never heard of and I don't remember exactly who told me about them was the My Father's Dragon books. We checked out one book from the library that had all three stories in it. Sophie and I took turns reading aloud with this one. We read these last year at Christmas time just when I was starting this required book everyday. So we took turns reading each page. She loved these stories. We even bought them to give as a birthday gift for a friend. Another great introduction to chapter books.

I haven't been able to convince Sophie to read a "real chapter book" aloud to me. I know she can read them because I often find her sitting in front of the bookcase with one in front of her. I know she is reading it too, not just looking at the few pictures, because she tells me about what the book is about and asks me questions about it. I know when I read aloud to her she sits and reads along with me often. She will point out words when I mix them up or point me to the correct place when I get distracted for a moment (Henry in the sink or bathroom again usually). I guess I shouldn't complain. She reads! And for her age she is doing REALLY WELL!