Learn to read books for preschoolers

Ten Books for Learning How to Read

Your brilliant child knows how to write their name, can read “Stop” and "Sale" and knows the sounds of the letters of the alphabet. 

How can they make the leap to reading a book on their own?

Ease your child into reading by providing a book that is just right for that first step. The books on this list are delightful and engaging. They have few words per page, with simple text, rhythm and repetition.

Be sure to read the book to your child several times before asking them if they would like to try. Above all, keep it fun and relaxed. Help your child when they ask for it. Enjoy the journey!

Funny Favourites

The hilarious Elephant and Piggie books are my top recommendation for children learning to read. Show your child how much you enjoy books by reading expressively. Whisper the words in the tiny print, and shout out the words in large print. Point to the words as you read them. After reading the book to your child a few times, ask them to read it to you.  

Also in the funny category is Shh! We Have a Plan! by Chris Haughton. In this award-winning book, a group tries to capture a bird and learns that the gentlest approach is best. The repetitive, simple text is just right for early readers. If your child likes this, try Chris Haughton’s other books from our collection.

Bring out the Rhythm and Rhyme

Rhyming books like Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss and Go, Dog. Go! by P.D. Eastman are incredibly effective at teaching little ones how to read. My children all learned to read with these two books. Bring out your silly voice and declare “Stop! You must not hop on pop!” The rhyming words will help your child unknowingly learn phonics. 

Rebus Books

We Love Our School is a rebus book, meaning some of the words are replaced by small pictures. You can read the words while your child “reads” the pictures and enjoys the experience of reading together. For more rebus books, try The House that Jack Built, I Love You: A Rebus Poem, or Mother Goose Picture Puzzles.

Best for Preschoolers

For those with very young emerging readers, choose stories with familiar plots, engaging images and very few words per page. Repeated phrases will help your little one decode the printed words.

I'm a big fan of The Maisy books for early readers. Children are drawn to Lucy Cousin's child-like art. The text is simple and the stories are enjoyable.

Before Dav Pilkey wrote Captain Underpants, his Big Dog and Little Dog entertained children with their cute antics. Pilkey captures complex emotions in his simple line drawings. The repetition in the text will help your young reader recognize and remember words. 

A favourite early reader in our house is Here are my Hands by Bill Martin. “Here are my hands, for catching and throwing, here is my head, for thinking and knowing. Here are my knees for falling down, here is my neck for turning around.” I love the rhymes and vibrant illustrations.

Now I Am Big by Stephen Krensky and Sara Gillingham is another great choice. I love the vintage colour palette, flowing rhythm, and positive message. Krensky’s other books in this series are just as appealing.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? is catchy, classic poem that your child will soon memorize. Your preschooler will be happy to turn the pages and read the book to you.

Bonus Books #11 and #12: One-Word Books

For children who are very hesitant to read on their own, one-word books are a great way to boost their confidence. Two of my favourites are Hug! by Jez Alborough or Moo! by David LaRochelle.

Your child will learn to read when they are ready and willing. We advise you to never rush the process. Make some of these books available along with your other favourites, and let your child choose the book at storytime. Once your child is able to read, don't hang up your storytime hat. Your child will still love to be read to by you for many years to come. And trust me, you'll miss it when they stop asking you to read them a story! Happy reading, everyone!

The Best Books for Beginner Readers

I’m just getting started with working on reading with my son, and the first time he sounded out the word “sat” — and really got it — his entire face lit up like he just saw Santa’s workshop at the North Pole. In a word, it was magic. 

There are all kinds of different approaches to teaching reading to little kids. Probably the one with the best evidence behind it — to the point where some people claim it’s the one-and-only way to do it — is phonics-based instruction. Put simply, this entails focusing on sounds over letters, per se. Phonics-based learning is great! But there are other pathways, too, and you know better than anyone what kind of approach is going to resonate most with your child.

If you haven’t started yet, an excellent precursor to reading lessons is simply to point to words and move your finger along while you read to your child — this demonstrates that the words actually convey something, and gives an indication about the general patterns involved (spoken words correspond to written words, left to right, top to bottom, etc. — it’s called “text awareness”). They might even pick up a sight word or two. It may be tedious, but this preps children for the learning-to-read process.

If you’re ready to begin to teach your child to read (or to supplement their school curriculum), or even if you’re already in the thick of it, Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons is a beloved workbook that parents, educators, linguistic therapists, and academic researchers alike all swear by. It’s easy to follow (it literally includes the dialogue), takes about 15-20 minutes per lesson, and it works! 

Professor John McWhorter described his experience with this book^^ in The Atlantic — which entailed teaching his 4-year-old to read over the course of a summer — and what’s most incredible about his success story is that it’s not outlying. Yes, many parents sing the praises of this book. 

The Question of

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to a child’s age and reading. Seriously, we could go on for pages and pages and pages about this — there’s an entire academic literature devoted to it, and everyone has an opinion. The AAP notes that most children learn to read around 6-7 years — which may come as a surprise to many parents (myself included) who fully expect their children to be reading at/around 5-years-old. If you ask the Montessori or Waldorf schools, they have an even more hands-off approach, and often don’t actively teach reading until second grade (!). 

*Note — teaching reading outright is separate from reading to kids and literacy exposure, which can and should be done as early and often as possible to ensure reading success down the road.

Of course there are pre-K kids who can and do pick up reading, which is great, but all this is simply to say that many of us — and even some school systems — harbor unrealistic expectations about when children should be reading by. In some ways, the entire debate mimics the “when to potty train” question — even the arguments on both sides of the fence sound similar, hah. There’s an interesting (and short) article delineating the discussion here, if you’re interested in a primer. Wherever you stand, it’s worth knowing that there’s no right-age-to-start, and there certainly aren’t any deadlines.

Once you’re on your way — whether you’re in the early learning stages or your child is already reading — it’s always great to have fun options on hand so your child can put their skills to use — and get excited about using them. Below are some of our favorite books for beginning readers — please share your family’s favorites in the comments! 

Happy reading listening, ya’ll!

Best Books for Beginner Readers

This book includes 20 cute stories on the farm, and every page includes two reading options — one for beginners (at the top of the page) and one for more advanced readers (at the bottom). You can start by having your little one read the top of the page while you read the bottom and slowly let them work their way towards the more advanced text. Also comes with audio (it’s a CD, though… does anyone still have a stereo???).(Also available here.)

Usborne My First Reading Library

A collection of 50 books that progress from “first reader” to level one then level two. The initial level uses very simple words and short sentences, and by the end, the stories feature longer sentences and stories. Parents agree that this set is a *fantastic tool for reading instruction, and it’s a great value. Yes, this is a standout set when it comes to teaching your child to read, and many parents also say that this helped bring their kids from reluctance to excitement about the whole endeavor. (Also available here.)

BTW, when it comes to books categorized by reading level, it’s better to overshoot than undershoot. “Although many people may think keeping students at one level will help prevent [kids] from getting frustrated and discouraged by difficult texts, research shows that students actually learn more when they are challenged by reading materials,” experts say.  

One other thing to be on the lookout for if you’re relying on leveled reading texts is that some of the entry level books are so simple that children can easily memorize them, or else easily guess what they say from the pictures, and thus miss out on the opportunity to sound words out. This isn’t necessarily a problem — as my son’s amazing teacher (who also happens to be a literacy expert) told me, “there are many ways to read a page” — it’s just something to be aware of.

Anything & Everything Mo Willems (Like this

I think we recommend Mo Willems books in pretty much every section of this guide — he’s awesome! These were some of my favorite books to read to my kids; but with big text, simple sentence structure and easy-to-follow illustrations, Mo Willems’s books are also a fantastic launching point for beginning readers. Plus, these are seriously laugh-out-loud for kids and parents alike. 

Peppa Pig Phonics Boxed Set

These short and simple Peppa Pig books (from Scholastic) are perfect for beginners. They are easier than the “regular” Peppa Pig books, and kids who already love Peppa Pig are super into them. Includes ten Peppa Pig storybooks, each of which focuses on a specific sound, plus two phonics workbooks.

Frog and Toad Books, Arnold Lobel

An oldie but a goodie! This set comes with four of the classics that are great for beginners (they’re a level 2 “I Can Read”). These books just have such a pleasant cadence to them too, once your kiddo gets them down.

Jonathan Fenske Books

These early reader titles are funny, simple, and also open the door to talking about emotions with your kids. You can’t go wrong with any of Fenske’s series, but A Pig, a Fox, and a Box and Hello, Crabby! are two good choices if you don’t know where to start.

These Ready to Read level 2 books about Henry and his huge dog Mudge are so cute. (The series opens with Henry begging his parents for a sibling, and instead they give him Mudge. (namely, characters are less-than-well-behaved). And while yes, on the one hand, this can definitely have the potential to instigate problems, it also offers the opportunity to engage your child in conversations about good or bad choices, kind behavior, responsibility, and the like. People don’t act perfect in real life, either, after all!

Little Bear Series, Else Holmelund Minarik, illus. Maurice Sendak

With illustrations from the beloved Maurice Sendak paired with the classic stories of Little Bear and his daily activities, these books are heartwarming and timeless.

You remember Amelia Bedelia, right?! Every time I think of these stories I remember the time my grandma put a whole carton of frozen veggies, paper packaging and all, right in the pot on the stove. “It said to put the whole thing in there!” she said. 😂 These level 2 “I Can Read” books are so fun — they follow what happens when Amelia Bedelia takes things literally. (Please note: these books were written in the 1950s, so they come complete with 1950s gender stereotypes.)

When you’re ready to take it to the next step:

This four-book series kicks off with Jada making a new friend at school after her best friend moves away — we love that the series features a brave female character of color in her everyday life.

This funny series about a snarky little girl with a big imagination is a kid and parent favorite. Be warned, though: Dory’s siblings and parents are brutal! Yes, a frequent complaint about these books is that they don’t necessarily model polite, kind family dynamics (or language). If that doesn’t bother you, it’s tons of fun.

This series follows Anna and her family’s life in Africa — the books are beloved for their compassion, engaging stories, and caring depictions of family; plus, they expose kids to another culture to boot. It’s a little more challenging, FYI, so it’s probably best for readers with a little more experience.

These silly books about Junie B’s school days are a classic — and yes, Junie B is a total brat. To some, she stands in welcome defiance of gender norms; but if you don’t want your kid reading about a rude main character, better steer clear! 

Lastly — many of the first read-aloud chapter books we recommend are also great for slightly more advanced beginning readers. In particular, check out the Zoey and Sassafras books, Mia Mayhem, The Bad Guys, Mercy Watson, and the entire (seemingly infinite) Magic Treehouse series.

Congrats, parents — how far have we come?!

Let us know what your kids love reading 🤩.

See also: Best Board Books and Fun Reads for Adults (from 2020).

About the Author

Brit is the author of Carrying On: Another School of Thought on Pregnancy and Health and Rest Uneasy: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in Twentieth-Century America. She has an MA and a PhD in history and previously worked as a medical history professor. She's taught and written on the history of women’s health, pediatrics, parenting, and motherhood. Brit lives in Maine with her family and spends her days reading esoteric academic literature, walking, listening to audiobooks, and writing about anything that interests her (which is many things). Outside of work, you can find her packing lunches, waiting out a tantrum, making a list, or looking for something one of her kids lost. Her favorite time of day is after her kids go to bed.

9 books that will teach you to read

Early learning to read, as well as the desire to engage in early development with a child, is a trend of recent years. The Clever publishing house recommends which books should be used for activities with the baby, in order not only to teach him to recognize letters and put words out of them, but also to instill a true love of reading.

At what age is it time to learn letters with a baby? Our authors, teachers with experience, Olga Uzorova and Elena Nefedova, believe that you can start from the age of two! Early? Boring? In no case! Kids love letters and games with them. Here, for example, is the letter "Z", which buzzes like a fly, and here is the letter "R", it roars like a lion. And kids are also delighted that syllables and words can be added from letters.

The tasks in the book are selected so that children of 2-3 years old do not get bored with its pages, but get acquainted with new things with interest, playing and joking. This will be very useful for them in the future: knowing all the letters, it is much easier to study with "adult" primers.

This notebook is the perfect match for the Primer. There are no difficult lessons and boring activities in it.

The new edition is based on the effective method of teaching reading and writing by Olga Uzorova and Elena Nefedova. The main idea of ​​the technique is to captivate and interest the child, which means that you will not be bored. To help parents as much as possible, we put detailed instructions at the beginning of the notebook on how to properly practice it with the baby.

Information is presented in a playful way, with vivid example pictures. Now every new lesson is a game, not just learning to read. Study from a notebook and consolidate your knowledge with a split cash register of letters. With it, you can learn not only to read, but also to write small words and even mini-sentences!

Tosya-Bosya does not sit still, she is always drawn to something new and interesting. In the new book, the cheerful fidget will not only play and be naughty, she will learn letters. And your child will get acquainted with the alphabet with her in a simple and exciting way.

Toshi-Boshi has prepared a lot of tasks for you: learn the word and add the first letters of the names of objects, complete the letters in one of the halves, color the pictures, cross out the extra letters in the words and collect the correct words from the jumbled letters.

We have also prepared many interesting facts. From the book, together with Tosei-Bosei, you can learn about ancient types of writing, about complex symbols and hieroglyphs that were used to replace long words. And if you still can’t write ordinary letters, you can try to come up with your own hieroglyphs with your child.

Notebook-notebook with a game alphabet for children from 3 to 6 years old with a favorite friend of many children - Winnie the bear and his company.

All the letters of the alphabet are gathered on its pages. Each letter is accompanied by a small rhyme in which it is played out, and an interesting task associated with the rhyme. Draw portraits of Winnie's friends, get out of labyrinths, water vegetables and collect honey while memorizing the letters of the alphabet. An excellent choice for those mothers who seek to distract the child from the TV screen or want to keep the child on the road with maximum benefit.

Animal alphabet. Notebook with games and tasks

Velcro notepad is a win-win move to draw the attention of the little fidget to learning the letters of the native alphabet. Children love Velcro, especially if there is something interesting behind them!

In this notebook, we have collected 150 creative tasks, by completing which the child will develop fine motor skills, memory, attention, coordination, and also learn how to hold a pencil in his hand correctly. After all, without help, the spider will not get into the forest, the fish will be left without shadows, and the elk will wander around the maze! How can you not help here? And the animals, in gratitude for this, will show the fidget all the letters, teach them how to write them and even solve puzzles.

Psychologists and teachers say that children learn best in the game. And it is much more pleasant for parents to play with children than to arrange boring reading and writing classes.

Go to the land of letters with the book by Svetlana Voskresenskaya. Under the cover you will find 200 different tasks for the initial learning to read and write. Learn new letters, look for them in words, make up funny stories from pictures, write and draw hooks and squiggles!

Each spread of the book consists of several tasks for a certain letter. Moving from simple to complex, your child will learn to read first, and then to write in block letters and even syllables. And those parents who like to carefully study various methods will find detailed instructions for classes at the beginning of the book.

Alphabet-recognition is a handy box with 32 magic cards and detailed instructions for parents. To start a fun game, you just need to get them all and select the one you need.

Each card will introduce the kid to one of the letters of the Russian alphabet, tell you what words this letter can be found in and teach you how to write it correctly. By the way, you can write directly on the cards: they are reusable, you only need an erasable felt-tip pen.

Another beautiful box on a string, in which 32 task cards were hidden. They will introduce the kid to the letters and help him learn to read.

To memorize each letter well, you must first learn how to find it. Found? Now you can read short words. And two-syllable words. And then out of three! That's how we learned to read. And besides the correct words, the cards hide "incorrect" ones, which must be found and underlined. You can underline and draw directly on the cards: they are reusable, as in the ABC-Knowing, and very convenient.

And again the box, but this time more complex. It is perfect for those mothers and children who have already got acquainted with the letters and want to learn how to write them. On 32 cards, the kid will have to draw lines, squiggles and various elements of letters, and then the letters themselves. Sometimes you have to count for this, for example, to draw as many large letters F as in the picture of scarves, and as many small letters F as in the picture of shoes.

You can write, draw and hatch in "Logical Recipes" on the cards themselves, because they are reusable.

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This collection of materials of the EXMO Publishing House consists from books adapted for children of younger and older preschool age, the purpose of which is to teach reading skills. They are designed taking into account the capabilities of the child and are arranged from simple to more complex. The child learns to compose and read words in syllables and in whole, and then in sentences.

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