Too Easy? Too Hard ?
Just Right?
delightful young man. He was entering fourth grade and looking
for the next book in Brian Jacques' Redwall series which he had
just finished reading. This series of books features wonderful,
long, fantasy novels. Most of them are written at about a 5th to
6th grade level, so this young man was obviously a good reader
for his age. It was so much fun to talk with such a well-mannered
and well-read young man.
Yet, I left the store feeling a bit upset. As the young man and I
talked and walked through the store pulling out favorite books
and looking for some other things for him to read, I kept hearing
his mother say. "No, that book is far too easy for him. That book
doesn't have enough pages in it." She said this about almost
every book in the children's section that the young man picked
up. Now this mother wanted only the best for her son, and she
truly wanted to encourage reading in her home. Unfortunately,
she was having the opposite effect. This wonderful young reader
left the store discouraged with only his sequel to Redwall.
Not every book a child reads must be a challenge. Do you only
read books that are good for you? Do you only watch the news
and documentary programs? Yes, this young man should
definitely stretch his reading boundaries, but he need not have to
read a 350 page book, two grade levels higher than the grade in
which he is, each and every time he wants something to read.
Length and reading level are not everything when it comes to
good literature. Many picture books are still appropriate for high
school students and even adults, and some are written at high
grade school reading levels A reader's emotional maturity must
take precedence when choosing a book or story to read, not the
book's length or the reading level of the book.
Just because the stories are shorter and illustrations have been
used in a picture book does not make the writing any less
powerful. Many are written with very sophisticated vocabularies
and themes. Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco is one of the most
powerful picture books I have ever read and is probably not
appropriate for a child younger than eight years old.. Some of
the most powerful adult stories I have ever read are short stories
-- "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, "The Gift of the Magi" by O.
Henry and "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant are just a few.
By all means, advanced readers do need to read challenging text
and push their reading comprehension skills, but not at the cost
of the wonderful children's literature being written specifically for
that child's grade level and emotional maturity. Talented
children's authors speak to the issues children face today in a
developmentally appropriate way. Books such as The Giver,
Maniac Magee, Homeless Bird, The Cay, Holes, Sarah Plain and
Tall, and Rules of the Road must not be sacrificed and skipped
for the classics. I read each of these books as an adult. Each
one made me think and grow as a reader (mind you, I am 41
years old and have been reading 37 years), but even more
importantly, I thoroughly enjoyed the expereince of reading each
book. On the other hand, if you should force a child to read
Huckleberry Finn before he or she is ready for it emotionally and
developmentally that book may be lost to the child forever
because the child will absolutely hate and will never pick it up
again when he or she is more able to handle the themes and
language of the book. That would be a travesty.
Furthermore, children's series books are often looked down upon
as "garbage" and not providing any educational opportunities.
Yet, these books are also important to a developing and even the
gifted reader. Yes, gifted readers may be able to read these
books in an hour or so, but they have been able to practice their
reading fluency skills without having to focus upon
comprehending what they are reading. Reading fluency is built
by reading texts at or below grade level and is a necessary part of
reading development. Until a reader's fluency is well-developed,
reading comprehesion will not grow and develop. Reading must
become an automatic skill so young readers can concentrate
upon the meaning of the text rather than just decoding words..
Please allow your child to choose the books they want to read as
long as it is not inappropriate material for children. Parents do
have to set your boundaries on what you consider appropriate
material for your home, but concentrate on the appropriateness
of the material for the age of the child rather than the reading
level of the child or the book. Try to provide your child with a
wide variety of reading material from easy to just right to
challenging. As long as a child is reading, reading progress is
being made. Growing readers will not still be reading The
Boxcar Children in college if they get their fill of them now. On the
other hand, if a parent refuses to allow a child to continue to read
books of his or her own choosing along with more challenging
books, that student may not go to college because the
enjoyment of reading and the reading comprehension skills
necessary for the understanding of college level texts have not
continued to grow.
Book Nuts' Mom
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Articles for Parents
Choosing Books For and With
Young Readers
Cuddling Up WIth Your Child and a
Good Book: 10 Great Reasons to
Read Together
10 Picture Books That Help Children
Deal WIth Life's Challenges
10 Great Picture Books That Appeal
To Boys