Reading Chapter Books

RABT asked in a recent comment what the right age to begin "chapter books" is for young children. Good question! The answer is (of course) it varies from child to child. Some children love picture books so much that they don't yet enjoy a book without illustrations. In fact, pictures are ways that children learn a lot about what the language is saying. Looking at the pictures is a form of "pre-reading. " Have you ever seen your pre-schooler looking at a favorite book, saying the words and "reading" the book?  If you have, you've seen your child reading!

Most "chapter books" require the child to wait for the end of the story, to wait for the resolution of any conflict, or to wait to see what happens next. Some young children can wait, but many others need to know that everything is all right NOW! They can't wait until tomorrow night!

I feel that the best approach is to pick a short chapter book that you, the adult reader, enjoy and introduce that to your child. (Please, no Dickens just yet!) When parents read with enthusiasm and verve, children understand that this is a good book--mommy/daddy likes it! If the book has pictures every now and then, be sure to show them to your child. If there are no pictures, then stop reading every so often and help your child get a mental picture of what's happening: "When I think of the farm, I imagine that it's big with a fence around it." The more children can relate to what the story is about, the more they will be invested listeners.

Reading chapter books is a wonderful way to expand your child's vocabulary, help them learn the excitement of "what's coming next." and even do some guessing about what the future holds for the characters in the story.

Some of my favorite chapter books are those by William Steig, such as "Amos and Boris." The vocabulary is so rich and the action so real that even three year-olds sit for this book (for 10-12 minutes). You all probably know Steig's famous picture books such as "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble"--try his small chapter books for a pleasant surprise.