Tuesday, March 3, 2015
5 Great Books to Motivate Kindergarteners to Love Reading
There are some really good books for kids out there...and there are some really awful ones. We went through a streak where everything we got from the library was just terrible. The kids and I were rapidly losing our enthusiasm for reading until one day it occurred to me that I should read them books that I would actually enjoy. It felt like they weren't quite old enough for chapter books at ages 6 and 4, but I began doing some research and I learned that reading chapter books:
- Enhances vocabulary in an extraordinary way
- Models fluency from listening to a proficient reader
- Develops listening skills
- Enhances bonding
- Most of all, chapter books MAKE CHILDREN LOVE READING
I found the last point to be especially true. My kids are literally begging me to read to them morning, noon and night. They get sad when we finish a book they love, and we have had some incredibly rich conversations as a result of reading. We pull out the globe when the book refers to a different country, we talk about what words mean, and why characters do the things they do. I have tried to read books that also have movies so that we can make a movie night of it after we are finished with the book, which is also fun and motivating to the kids.
The following is a list of some of our favorite chapter books. It is important to find books that will be interesting to kids, but keep an eye out for books that aren't too advanced or they will lose interest:
1. This was our first chapter book. There are actually dozens of these books, and they are all written for young children. They often have a bit of a mystery and the kids find them very easy to follow.
2. This was a very fun book, with a wild and imaginative story. It was also very short, so it is a great pick for a beginner chapter book.
3. This book has a very fun story and the kids were really rooting for the characters. It gave us lots of rich context to discuss, with the Indian and the Cowboy slant. In addition, it is a fun movie!
4. This book captivated my kids. In addition, there are some great lessons in morality here that can be discussed, and of course, a it is a great movie for kids as well.
5. Lastly, Harry Potter is and probably always will be the favorite. We haven't venture to watch the movie yet, as I am afraid of nightmares, but the kids LOVED the book and were so sad when it ended. There are so many characters that it did take awhile for them to get everyone straight, but it was a great lesson in listening skills.
For more ideas on helping your children love reading, and activities with kids, please check out my book! Here is one Amazon review:
"This book seriously saved my sanity. I've read a bunch of parenting books but this is literally the only one that actually gave me real and specific advice and ideas for things to do with my daughter. I'm a stay-at-home mom to a 2-year old and I was at my wits end trying to come up with ideas of fun, easy, creative things to do with her that will keep her busy and occupied and help her learn. I wasn't very good at following through on ideas that I heard about from friends or read in other books or online because they seemed too complicated (aka: messy!) but this book broke it down and made it so simple. I highly recommend it!"
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i'm definite going to check this out for my Grandchildren. mommy's write the best books. I had great ideas for books when my little ones were learning to read and some that i made for them but never thought of trying to get them published. Unfortunately, through the years and a few moves they disappeared. Good Luck!.
ReplyDeleteI can't see what books you listed
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