Choosing A Good Fit Book

Reading is so important to developing a child’s imagination and vocabulary. When you are selecting a good fit book to read, make sure to choose a book that will hold your child’s attention span, while being developmentally appropriate. Here are a few tips to help you choose books that are appropriate for your own child or for students in your classroom:

What does your child enjoy?

When choosing new books to read, think about your child’s current interests. Are they into trucks, princesses, sports, or animals? Finding books based on their interests will help to captivate their attention.

How long should the book be?

Think about your child’s current favorite book. How long is it? How many pages is it? This can help guide you in choosing the right length of a new book.

Is the book age appropriate?

Before beginning a new book, take a look at the material included. Make sure the content is age-appropriate for your child. Will they understand the vocabulary and be supported with the right amount of pictures to look at? A toddler needs a book with very few words and many pictures, while an older child will being to read a chapter book with few pictures.

Should we read a board book or a picture book?

Think about the developmental level of your child. Board books are perfect for young children so they can independently turn the pages without your support. Once a child can read a book without tearing the pages and understands how to care for a book, then a picture book is a great next step. If your child is able to read the words in a picture book independently, then this is a great time to being I Can Read books and eventually chapter books.

Go on a picture walk!

You picked out a book you think your child will enjoy, so now what? Turn through the first few pages of a book and look at the pictures. If your child is interested, then go back to the beginning and read the story. For an older child, have them read the first page and see if they are interested in continuing on.

Now Read, Read, Read!!

Now that you have picked out the perfect book, it is time to read with your child! If your child is able to read independently, then set them up for success by providing a quiet reading spot. We love to prop up some pillows and blankets in a quiet spot in the house and snuggle up with a good book. Maybe even a cup of tea, too!

There is no better time to start reading than today, so I hope you have fun reading with your little ones!

This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. I earn a small commission each time someone makes a purchase through one of my affiliate links, which helps to support The Primary Brain blog. As always, I only recommend products that I love and all ideas shared are my own.

Written on May 1st, 2021 by Laurin Brainard