Learning to read stories

Reading with Your Child | Reading Rockets

By: Bernice Cullinan, Brod Bagert

There is no more important activity for preparing your child to succeed as a reader than reading aloud together. Fill your story times with a variety of books. Be consistent, be patient, and watch the magic work.

It's no secret that activities at home are an important supplement to the classroom, but there's more to it than that. There are things that parents can give children at home that the classrooms cannot give.

Start young and stay with it

At just a few months of age, an infant can look at pictures, listen to your voice, and point to objects on cardboard pages. Guide your child by pointing to the pictures, and say the names of the various objects. By drawing attention to pictures and associating the words with both pictures and the real-world objects, your child will learn the importance of language.

Children learn to love the sound of language before they even notice the existence of printed words on a page. Reading books aloud to children stimulates their imagination and expands their understanding of the world. It helps them develop language and listening skills and prepares them to understand the written word. When the rhythm and melody of language become a part of a child's life, learning to read will be as natural as learning to walk and talk.

Even after children learn to read by themselves, it's still important for you to read aloud together. By reading stories that are on their interest level, but beyond their reading level, you can stretch young readers' understanding and motivate them to improve their skills.

It’s part of life

Although the life of a parent is often hectic, you should try to read with your child at least once a day at a regularly scheduled time. But don't be discouraged if you skip a day or don't always keep to your schedule. Just read to your child as often as you possibly can.

If you have more than one child, try to spend some time reading alone with each child, especially if they're more than two years apart. However, it's also fine to read to children at different stages and ages at the same time. Most children enjoy listening to many types of stories. When stories are complex, children can still get the idea and can be encouraged to ask questions. When stories are easy or familiar, youngsters enjoy these "old friends" and may even help in the reading.

Taking the time to read with your children on a regular basis sends an important message: Reading is worthwhile.

One more time

You may go through a period when your child favors one book and wants it read night after night. It is not unusual for children to favor a particular story, and this can be boring for parents. Keep in mind, however, that a favorite story may speak to your child's interests or emotional needs. Be patient. Continue to expose your children to a wealth of books and eventually they will be ready for more stories.

Talking about stories

It's often a good idea to talk about a story you are reading, but you need not feel compelled to talk about every story. Good stories will encourage a love for reading, with or without conversation. And sometimes children need time to think about stories they have read. A day or so later, don't be surprised if your child mentions something from a story you've read together.

Remember when you were very young

It will help, however, if we open our eyes to some things adult readers tend to take for granted. It's easier to be patient when we remember how much children do not know. Here are a few concepts we adults know so well we forget sometimes we ever learned them.

• There's a difference between words and pictures. Point to the print as you read aloud.
• Words on a page have meaning, and that is what we learn to read.
• Words go across the page from left to right. Follow with your finger as you read.
• Words on a page are made up of letters and are separated by a space.
• Each letter has at least two forms: one for capital letters and and one for small letters.

These are examples of hieroglyphics.

Imagine how you would feel if you were trying to interpret a book full of such symbols. That's how young readers feel. But, a little patience (maybe by turning it into a puzzle you can solve together) is certain to build confidence.

Advertise the joy of reading!

Our goal is to motivate children to want to read so they will practice reading independently and, thus, become fluent readers. That happens when children enjoy reading. We parents can do for reading what fast food chains do for hamburgers? ADVERTISE! And we advertise by reading great stories and poems to children.

We can help our children find the tools they need to succeed in life. Having access to information through the printed word is an absolute necessity. Knowledge is power, and books are full of it. But reading is more than just a practical tool. Through books we can enrich our minds; we can also relax and enjoy some precious leisure moments.

With your help, your children can begin a lifelong relationship with the printed word, so they grow into adults who read easily and frequently whether for business, knowledge, or pleasure.

How to Raise a Reader - Books Guides

By Pamela Paul and Maria Russo

Illustrations by Dan Yaccarino

From the moment you’re expecting your first child, you are bombarded with messages about the importance of reading. For good reason: The benefits of reading at every stage of a child’s development are well documented. Happily, raising a reader is fun, rewarding and relatively easy.

Looking for more tips? The authors of this guide turned it into a book. Learn more about it, and order a copy now.

Start Them Early

First, Reacquaint Yourself With Reading

If you’ve let reading slide to the margins of your life, now is the time to bring it back. Make the space, and time, for books you read for yourself, and books you read with your child. If you want to raise a reader, be a reader.

Baby Books Are a Necessity

You may think you’re off the hook with books until your baby is at least vertical, but not so. Even newborns benefit from the experience of hearing stories (and they can’t complain about your taste in books). So take advantage. Here’s how:

Read out loud, every day. Any book. You can read anything to a newborn: a cookbook, a dystopian novel, a parenting manual. The content doesn’t matter. What does matter is the sound of your voice, the cadence of the text and the words themselves. Research has shown that the number of words an infant is exposed to has a direct impact on language development and literacy. But here’s the catch: The language has to be live, in person and directed at the child. Turning on a television, or even an audiobook, doesn’t count. Sure, it’s good to get started reading aloud the children’s books that will be part of your child’s library. But don’t feel limited. Just be sure to enjoy yourself.

Use your senses. Babies who are read to are learning that reading is fun and can involve all the senses: the feel of the pages, the smell of the glue (don’t go crazy), the visuals of the illustrations, the sound of the parent’s voice. Try it: Texturized books are especially good for your child’s tactile experience.

Mind your audience. Make eye contact, but don’t look for a particular reaction. It may seem like babies are not listening, but they are absorbing the experience. And the patterns, routines and attentive habits that are set now will last a lifetime.

Get your baby talking. Babies may start making sounds in response to your reading. This is why many books for this age contain nonsense words or animal sounds — they’re easier to mimic. Try it: If your child make a noise, respond. It may make no sense to you, but it’s communication. There’s a straight line from this moment to your first parent-child book club.

Toddlers

It’s hard to overestimate how important reading is to a toddler’s intellectual, social and emotional development. When you read with toddlers, they take it all in: vocabulary and language structure, numbers and math concepts, colors, shapes, animals, opposites, manners and all kinds of useful information about how the world works. What’s more, when you read out loud, your toddler connects books with the familiar, beloved sound of your voice — and the physical closeness that reading together brings. You are helping build a positive association with books that will last a lifetime.

Keep in mind:

Reading happens throughout the day. Nightly bedtime reading is a familiar routine for parents of toddlers — what better way to get your little ball of energy to relax before bed? Make sure the atmosphere is soothing and not rushed, and choose some of the many books that end, strategically, with a peaceful going-to-bed scene (though friskier books about sleep-avoiding children are fun, too). But read with your toddler during the day, as well. Offering to read books with toddlers is one of the best ways — some days, it can seem like the only way — to get them to slow down and focus. Sit close, and enjoy these moments of connection while it’s still light outside.

Introduce your own taste. You’ve been reading a long time, and you have a sense of what you like in grown-up books. As a parent, you have the chance to rediscover your taste in children’s books. Pull out your old favorites, and find what’s new that catches your eye when you’re in bookstores, libraries or friends’ homes. The good news is that the best authors and illustrators of children’s books aim to please their grown-up audience, too. Try it: Tweak the text when you’re reading out loud. Many classic children’s books are now considered sexist, racist, outdated and, in certain ways, downright awful. Feel free to make them better.

Respect your child’s preferences. Your child is already surprising you with independent tastes and opinions. Just as your child doesn’t like your kale salad, he or she may not appreciate the exquisite black-and-white crosshatching of Robert McCloskey’s “Make Way for Ducklings” as much as you did as a child. You may not be all that excited about fairies or talking trucks, but your child might be. Encourage children to express what they like about their books, and find more books like those.

The parent-child pas de deux. The more you can make reading mutually satisfying, the more it will be associated with pleasure and reward. If your child doesn’t like your silly ogre’s voice, don’t use it. Remember, it’s your child’s story time, too. Try it: Let your child turn the pages, to control the pace. (It’s also great for developing fine motor skills.)

It’s O.K. to interrupt. Don’t get so caught up in your own reading that you ignore your child’s comments and queries. Interruptions show that your child is engaged. Try it: If you find yourself saying, “Just let me finish this page,” stop and ask your toddler to repeat the question. If children don’t seem engaged by the words, ask what they see in the pictures. Point at things and invite them to explain or narrate the action.

Expand your toddler’s world. Sometimes toddlers seem “stuck” on a certain book you’re not crazy about. Don’t deny them the books they like, but try to actively steer them toward other books as well. Most important, don’t be afraid to expose toddlers to subjects they don’t have any context for. All topics — even geology, the history of art, and life in different cultures — can be broken down into small parts and made interesting by a great children’s book. Try it: At a certain age, children may start to gravitate exclusively to stories that feature a protagonist of their own gender. This is not true for toddlers. Take advantage of this time to expose them to a balanced menu of characters.

Choose diverse books. All children need to see themselves reflected in the picture books around them. If your child is a member of a racial or ethnic minority, seek out books that feature children who look similar to yours — they are getting much easier to find. White children also benefit from books that show children with different skin tones and ethnicities. All children need to encounter books that present the variety of cultural traditions and family structures that coexist in our communities. Exposing children to diversity in books will prepare them for life in a diverse world.

More on Reading to the Youngest

How to Grow a Reader

Emerging Readers

That magical breakthrough moment — when your child shows an interest in letters, and begins to make out words on a page or in the world itself — happens at different ages for different children, even within the same family. Most parents describe a long period in which a child can’t keep letters straight or identify words, then a quick burst of comprehension, followed by more regular, but still sudden leaps. It really can seem like magic — so don’t rush it.

Some strategies to support your emerging reader:

Mix it up. When children start to pick out words, allow them to read to you some of the time, but reading time shouldn’t be strained, exhausting or feel like a test. At first, try pointing to words you know your child will recognize and have him or her read them. When your child knows more words, try reading alternating pages. 

Don’t abruptly withdraw your reading services. Being read to is an enormous comfort and part of your bond, and you don’t want to convey to your child that becoming an independent reader jeopardizes that together time. Continue reading aloud picture book favorites — and some more-sophisticated books they can’t read on their own yet, like Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” or Kate DiCamillo’s “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.”

Every child learns to read at a personal pace. There is no “correct” age for independent reading, and no special formula for getting every child to read by, say, age 5½. In fact, few 5-year-olds are ready to do full-on independent reading — even if many kindergarten programs are structured toward that goal. If you’ve been focused on raising a reader all along, you can feel confident that your child is taking the steps toward independent reading at the pace that’s personally right.

Don’t make reading work. Your child may already be under pressure to learn to read at school. 

Reading at home should be beautiful, fun, curiosity-quenching and inspiring.It’s great if you can help support your child while learning to read, but your most important job is more profound: to foster a love of reading. Don’t put it on yourself to make your child hit particular targets.

Check in with the teacher. Talk with your child’s teachers, but don’t get nervous if your student is not reading at the same level as his or her peers.  

Late readers often grow up to be better, more enthusiastic readers. That said, if you or your child’s teacher suspects a reading challenge, like dyslexia, get a formal evaluation. Your child may be under more stress about learning to read than you realize.

Early Readers

As your child begins to read independently, your role expands. Keep reading with your child, but also supply a steady stream of books that are appealing, and lots of positive vibes and good conversation about reading and books in general.

Ask, “what are you reading?” Make this question a big part of your life. When you’re with your child and a friend, ask what the friend reads, and start a conversation. Your child may want to read what friends are enthusiastic about. 

Tip: Ask other parents what their children are reading, and offer to swap books.

Make reading associated with maturity. Reading is a grown-up pastime, and can be done independently.  

Try it: If your child’s bedtime is 7 p.m., extend it to 7:30 p.m. if the child stays in bed and reads.

A Few Words About Harry Potter

Don’t push Harry Potter too early. We love Harry Potter, but also feel there is no reason to read Harry Potter out loud to your child. If children are attracted to fantasy, they will come to love Harry so much, they’ll want to read the books on their own. In other words, Harry Potter is the dessert, not the vegetables. There are a lot of great books for kindergartners, but even the first Harry Potter book is not one of them. In fact, the sweet spot for the first four books in the series is the second through fifth grades; it’s fifth through seventh grade for the later books. There are some dark themes in the later books; the author, J.K. Rowling, wrote those understanding that her readers would grow into the later books as they worked their way through the series.

Our Reviews of the Harry Potter Series

Reluctant Readers, or Visual Readers?

For some early readers, a big block of text is like a giant, daunting stop sign. These children often get slapped with the label “reluctant reader,” when really they may just prefer more visual books. Resist applying that label and instead find books your early reader loves.

These tips can help you inspire a less enthusiastic reader:

Format doesn’t matter. Many chapter books with a highly visual, comics-influenced format (“Captain Underpants,” for example) were written specifically to help “reluctant readers” and children with challenges like dyslexia. The stories and characters can be rich and well developed, and children still learn reading skills with these more visually driven books. Graphic novels for young readers, meanwhile, have been steadily improving in literary quality, often winning prestigious awards and appearing on best-of-the-year book lists.

Make room for comics and manga. Don’t denigrate your child’s interest in this genre. Many of the most celebrated literary figures of our time not only grew up devouring comics, but also incorporate comics-inspired themes into their prize-winning novels: Michael Chabon, Junot Díaz and Jonathan Lethem, to name a few. Many children become avid readers through their love of comics. You may have even loved reading Archie, Smurfs or Superman before going on to read Gabriel García Márquez.

A book about a computer game is still a book. Plenty of reluctant readers are fans of popular computer and video games. Many of these games have book counterparts, which can be a great way to steer your child toward the pleasures of text. There are lots of books featuring Minecraft, Pokémon, Plants vs. Zombies, and the like. From there, you can expand your child’s repertory to graphic novels and comics, and then full-text books.

Don’t forget nonfiction. Some reluctant readers are fact-gatherers, who may be more inspired by reading nonfiction. If it’s presented in a highly visual format, all the better for conveying even more kinds of information. Look for books about presidents, states, ancient history, the solar system, animals, natural disasters, and other topics they’re interested in.

Never treat books as a chore. Don’t say, “If you spend 30 minutes reading, you’ll get to play on the iPad/eat ice cream/be paid a dollar.” Instead, treat reading as its own reward — a privilege, even. Nobody earns candy for eating cookies.

Our Favorite Graphic Novels, Memoirs and History Books

The great Bone saga begins in this edition, as Fone Bone, Phoney Bone and Smiley Bone meet some scary monsters.
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Astrid decides to join a summer roller derby camp, but can she stay close to her best friend even though they are growing apart?
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Harriet Tubman’s escape from slavery is one subject covered in this nonfiction series.
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When his family moves to the suburbs, Jin Wang wonders why he doesn’t fit in with the “all-American boys.” Read the review.
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Raina experiences braces, boy troubles and other plagues of the sixth grade. Read the review.
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Foster a Family of Readers

It Starts With You

We’ll say it again because it’s easy to forget among the demands of parenthood: If you want your child to be excited about reading, you should be, too. These precious years when your child is living at home, observing your approach to life, are a great time to nurture your own reading habits.

Here’s how to make reading a family activity:

Beyond the “reading log” mentality. Many students have to keep “reading logs” from elementary school through middle school, a well-meaning, but somewhat controversial practice that risks turning reading into a chore. If your child must keep one, consider the fine irony in bugging your student to crack a book every night, if you rarely do it yourself. Seeing you choose to read can help with your child’s approach to mandated reading time.

Make reading a group activity. Just as younger children parallel play, older children parallel read. And reading together — separately — is a wonderful way to spend time in each other’s company. Try it: Instead of organizing family leisure time around TV, movies or video games, schedule a regular family reading time. As your children begin to choose their own books and read independently, they may be less inclined to talk to you about what they’re reading. But if they are reading right next to you, you’ll hear them laugh, exclaim or give some other response, which gives you an opening to conversation.

Foster Independent Reading Comprehension

Avoid giving your child an e-reader. Studies have shown that people, especially children, absorb and retain stories better when they read them in print. So there is a good pedagogic reason to urge your children to stick to paper. At night, screen time is known to interfere with melatonin cycles, which makes it harder to fall asleep.

Books belong everywhere. Even a devoted anticlutter person should make an exception for books. Create impromptu reading opportunities for your child by leaving books in places where they may be picked up in an idle moment. Discovered on a coffee table, a great photography book or a book about lizards may occupy children for long stretches. A big, visual, information-rich book like David Macaulay’s “The Way Things Work” can be an ongoing temptation for children of all ages. But don’t stop there. Leave paperbacks and magazines piled in the bathroom (yes, everyone reads on the toilet, even children), or anywhere they could catch a young reader’s eye.

Join — or start — a parent-child (any combination) book club. These are great ways to strengthen your child’s relationship to reading — and to you. Being in a book club together increases the opportunities for you to start conversations about books, which may lead to deeper conversations about other subjects.

Books to movies. A movie adaptation of a novel your child loves is a great way to re-engage with the book, opening a conversation about how a story can be told in different ways. Encourage your child to read the book before the movie adaptation hits the screen. Consider establishing a family rule: No one watches the film until everyone has read the book.

Keep the New Books Coming In (and Going Out)

Let your child build a personal collection. Children love collecting. Make your child’s book collection a point of personal pride and identity. Every child should have a special bookcase. Plan for long-term storage for the best of this collection. When your children reach adulthood and discover that you still have the books that meant so much to them in childhood, they (and you!) will appreciate it.

Books are for giving. Not every book your child owns is bound for the permanent collection. Keep a regular conversation going about which books your child is ready to hand down to younger siblings, cousins or friends. It’s also great to pass some on to shelters, doctors’ offices, schools, charity sales or local libraries.

Consider a birthday-party book swap. When your child is at the picture-book stage, ask guests to bring a wrapped book instead of gifts, and have everyone choose one on the way out. (Don’t forget to also wrap one from the birthday child — who gets to pick first!) It’s nicer than goody bags filled with candy or plastic toys, and teaches children that books are special.With older children, have guests bring an unwrapped book, and have them choose from the pile. Determine the order by pulling numbers from a hat, or through a contest or game.

Don’t let the steep price of books stand in your way. Make regular trips to the library (even better as a family) to keep a constant stream of new and intriguing books around the house. Many local libraries no longer have limits on the number of books you can take out at one time. And keeping a constantly rotating menu of books on hand exposes children to a variety of subjects, formats and genres, piquing their curiosity.

Local libraries are indispensable resources. They often offer:

• Storytelling hours
• Author visits
• Community events for the whole family
• Free computer access with kid-friendly games

Let your children become members as soon as they are old enough. A child’s first library card is a rite of passage, often the very first official membership card in a young life. Teach your children that library membership is a privilege and a responsibility. Most children really treasure their library cards, for good reason. It’s not just a ticket to great books, it’s a milestone.

More From Books

Know Your Books

Here are the various types of books you and your child will encounter as she grows.

Board Books

Birth to Age 3

Board books are small, thick cardboard books that fit in a baby’s hand. They can be safely chewed on or thrown across the room. They are equally visual and verbal; pictures tell the story as much as the words do. Research shows that visual reading is an important precursor to verbal reading, and babies need to develop this skill. Decoding pictures and decoding words are part of the same process. Becoming a reader starts as soon as your baby pays attention to board books.

What Makes a Great Board Book

Familiarity. Our tiniest family members like to see their own world reflected on the page — including other babies’ faces, and seemingly ho-hum household items like a stroller, a bottle or a crib. Everything is new to a baby. The pages of a simple board book may be boring to you, but pay attention to what delights your baby in a book, and find more like it.

A feast for the eyes. Board books should have big, bright images and comparatively few words. For very small babies, easy-to-see, simple black-and-white pages with big patterns are a great way to start. As your baby gets older, find board books with bold color combinations and high-impact graphic design. Babies don’t necessarily appreciate the softer, more subtle palettes that appeal to adults.

All hands on board. Lift the flap. Feel the textures. Pull the tabs. (Babies love to manipulate these features.) As soon as they can use their hands, lift-the-flap books are a wonderful way to make reading a tactile activity as well as introduce the element of surprise into story time.

Watch Out For

Board-book versions of your favorites. Not every book that started out as a picture book works in the format. The art has to scale down well, and there has to be a strong, simple visual component to the story. Don’t assume a board-book version of your favorite picture book is the way to go. It may be best to wait until your baby can experience that beloved book in its bigger, intended format.

Gizmos and sounds. Babies can get easily overstimulated, and they will also quickly tire of these bells and whistles. (You will, too.) Your live, human voice should trump everything else.

A lot of blah-blah-blah. Too many words, and too few or too finely detailed pictures will try a baby’s patience. Every word in a board book should count.

Our Favorite Board Books

A mischievous gorilla isn’t quite ready to go to sleep.
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The caterpillar is still hungry after all these years.
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A shy hippo makes a big impact in this Sandra Boynton classic.
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Maisy and her friends get ready for bed.
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How Are We Doing?

Tell us what you think about this guide from The New York Times.

Picture Books

Ages 2 - 8

Picture books are bigger than board books, with (be careful!) rippable pages and, usually, a slightly longer, more developed story. You can introduce picture books into the story time mix right from the newborn days, but the sweet spot for picture books is later toddlerhood and beyond. Your child’s awareness of the world is always expanding, and picture books tell more ambitious stories, going to new places, and helping the child to understand and navigate each stage of life (a new sibling, the beginning of preschool, conflict with a friend, fear of the dark, picky eating, and so on).

What Makes a Great Picture Book

It artfully combines great illustration and great words. Picture books are not just a lot of fun, they are an art form. As with board books, the images aren’t there merely to accompany the words — they work in tandem with text to tell the story. Sometimes you can suffer through some terrible text in the service of beautiful illustration. (And if you are reading a picture book to your child before she is reading herself, you can even get away with changing text that strikes you as outdated or just plain bad.) But the “greats” — the books you will keep in your library for years, and hope your children will pass on to their children — will have both incredible art and powerful, unforgettable language.

They are made by talented authors, illustrators and author/Illustrators. Some of the very best picture books are by author/illustrators like Maurice Sendak, Dr. Seuss, Leo Lionni, Jerry Pinkney, Lois Ehlert and Taro Gomi. These masters of the form can make a picture book seem like a whole world. But books written and illustrated by separate people can be just as amazing, combining a word-centric talent with a highly visual one — and you’ll often find well-known author/illustrators performing just one of those roles. Maurice Sendak and Ruth Krauss collaborated on the classic “A Hole Is to Dig,” for example. More recently, Adam Rex and Christian Robinson split duties on the charming “School’s First Day of School.” Tip: Get to know the names of well-regarded picture book authors, illustrators and author/illustrators.

They pay attention to the details. Every inch of a picture book is thought out, from the cover to the end papers. Feel free to judge these books by their covers — and look underneath them, as well, because often you’ll find a surprise on the reverse side.

They don’t get old. The all-time great picture books stay delightful even with frequent repetition. “The Snowy Day,” “Goodnight Moon,” “Where the Wild Things Are” are books you can read out loud repeatedly and not lose your sanity.

They let you look beyond words. Some of the great picture book are wordless, like Jerry Pinkney’s “The Lion & the Mouse,” David Wiesner’s “Flotsam” and Suzy Lee’s “Wave.” Wordless books are a fantastic opportunity to build your child’s visual literacy and help teach how to decipher images. Try it: Invite your child to tell you what is happening on each page and then ask, “What makes you say that?”

They use animals to create a “safe space” for children to work out problems. The ranks of great picture books have always been heavy with animal protagonists, as in “Little Bear,” “Frog and Toad” and “Pete the Cat.” It’s not just that children love animals — the critters in their books help them reflect on problems from a safe emotional distance. Animals are also often gender neutral and appeal to both sexes.

They make facts fun. Not every picture book has to tell a story. Many of the most memorable approach their role differently: They show fascinating information about life, often broken up into bite-sized chunks. The books of Richard Scarry, for example, give children a lot of stuff to look at (and sneak in ministories that don’t require a long commitment). For many children, picture books that are organized like catalogs or encyclopedias are even more compelling than stories, and even the most story-loving child likes to occasionally get lost in these “fact books.”

• Favorite Classics
• Newer Picture Books

• Favorite Classics

  “The Amazing Bone” by William Steig

  Can Pearl, a pig, and her new friend, a small talking bone, outwit a band of robbers and a hungry fox?
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  “In the Night Kitchen” by Maurice Sendak

  Mickey has adventures in the bakers’ kitchen as they prepare our morning cake.
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  “The Carrot Seed” by Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Crockett Johnson

  This book teaches the patience and technique needed to plant a seed and help it grow.
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  “Millions of Cats” by Wanda Gág

  An old man and an old woman decided to get a cat, but he found not one cat, but millions and billions and trillions of cats!
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  “Harold and the Purple Crayon” by Crockett Johnson

  Armed only with an oversize purple crayon, young Harold draws himself a landscape full of wonder and excitement.
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• Newer Picture Books

  “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus” by Mo Willems

  When a bus driver takes a break from his route, a very unlikely volunteer springs up to take his place.
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  “Miss Rumphius” by Barbara Cooney

  Alice made a promise to make the world a more beautiful place, a seed of an idea is planted and blossoms into a beautiful plan.
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  “I Want My Hat Back” by Jon Klassen

  The bear’s hat is gone, and he wants it back.
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  “The Seven Silly Eaters” by Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Marla Frazee

  Each new addition to the household brings a new demand for a special meal.
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  “The Stray Dog” by Marc Simont

  A stray dog finds a new home.
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Early or Easy Readers

Ages 4-7

Early reader books use a limited number of words and are heavily illustrated. Most have a more workmanlike appearance than picture books. They often have no jacket and are slightly taller and narrower. Many are branded with names like “I Can Read” or “Step Into Reading,” and three or sometimes four levels. These are called “Leveled Readers” — you can always spot one because it will have a giant number or letter on the cover identifying its level. Your child is likely to encounter these in school, starting in kindergarten. For that reason, many parents shy away from bringing branded “leveled reader” books home, but there are plenty of early reader books that don’t create the pressured atmosphere those numbers can convey.

What Makes a Great Early Reader

Fun. Adventure. Playfulness. These are the books that invite your children into the world of readers, where they will spend the rest of their lives. That’s a leap filled with prestige and accomplishment. But if your child feels constantly judged, or that too much attention is paid to the pace of progress, the experience may not be fun. It may even get in the way of learning. You can help by making sure your child has early readers that surprise and delight. Dr. Seuss revolutionized this category and set the standard that still holds, so keep in mind the outrageous fun of Dr. Seuss when you select these books. No matter the topic or story, an early reader book should make reading seem like a club your child wants to be a part of — not a lesson to be graded on.

Rhyme or other clues. Many early readers use rhyme — it’s a way to give a fledgling reader a clue about what an unfamiliar word may be — but they don’t have to. Repetition and word patterning can be just as helpful.

Good art and clean, interesting graphic design. The art on every page of an early reader should help the child decode the words. Make sure these books have an inviting design. Many of the best early readers will have very few words — sometimes only one or two per page! Rest assured, your child is reading when making it through a book like that. It is a satisfying and impressive accomplishment.

Our Favorite Early Readers

It’s cold and wet and Sally and her brother are stuck in the house with nothing to do … until a giant cat in a hat shows up.
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Waiting

Impatient Gerald has to wait for Piggie’s promised surprise.
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Uh-oh. Bear’s head is stuck in a bucket. Oh, my. Oh, no. Fortunately Bear’s good friend Dog is there to rescue him.
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Ballet Cat and Sparkles the Pony are trying to decide what to play today.
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What this story needs is a pig in a wig, on a boat in a moat with a frog, a dog, and a goat on a log.
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This books only uses two or three words throughout, with a story that’s fun and easy to follow.
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Chapter Books

Ages 6 - 10

When children flow right through easy readers, they may start to talk about chapter books. If not, introduce the idea yourself — they’re probably ready, or will be soon. It’s an exciting moment! Something about the feat of working through a bunch of chapters makes a young elementary school student feel gloriously grown up. Early chapter books are mostly published in series, because new readers who finish a book frequently want more time with the characters.

What to Look For

Forever friends, complex plot. Remember Ramona Quimby and Henry Huggins, Nancy Drew and Encyclopedia Brown, Fern, Charlotte and Stuart Little? Chapter books are where your child meets characters who will be important friends — they will play big, ongoing roles in a reader’s life as he or she grows into a more independent, self-sufficient person. In these books, children also begin to follow longer, twistier stories, to enter into enchanting and breathtaking literary fantasy worlds with their own rules and logic, and to discover stories that will help them work through the many changes they are experiencing in their world and in themselves.

Visual interest still matters. If your child is shying away from or struggling to read chapter books, seek out the more visual ones, with at least one illustration on each page. Books from “The 13-Story Treehouse” series or “The Notebook of Doom” series do the trick. These books are often unjustly dismissed as too “easy” or “cartoonish,” but you should ignore that prejudice. The best of these heavily illustrated early chapter books are brilliant!

What to Watch Out For

Long, long, loooong series. The first chapter books your child encounters are often part of series that have turned into mega-franchises by now: “Magic Treehouse,” “Flat Stanley,” “Fancy Nancy.” Some of these series have books counting into the hundreds, which makes many parents groan. As strong as the original concepts may be, the freshness factor may indeed be lacking in later titles. Still, if your child is into these, keep them coming. Tip: Borrow, swap and otherwise obtain these books used, as your child races through each one once, never to crack it open again.

Reluctance to try something new. The early chapter book mega-series franchises also hog up valuable shelf space in libraries and bookstores, so make an effort to introduce your little fan to newer, lesser known series, many of which are more literary, nuanced reads, with better art and more interesting language. The books in some of these series are best read in order, but with many your child can jump in at any point.

Our Favorite Chapter Book Series

Two friends — who never meant to like each other — share adventures.
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Kids can use their problem solving skills to solve mysteries with Nate.
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Here comes a lovably energetic little sister with a BIG personality — and an imagination to match!
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A cat goes berserk, in alphabetical order.
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“Anna Hibiscus” by Atinuke
Join Anna Hibiscus as she splashes in the sea, prepares for a party, sells oranges, and hopes to see sweet, sweet snow!
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Middle Grade Books

Ages 8-12

Many people consider middle-grade books the best of children’s literature, because they focus on the golden years of childhood, before the transformations, challenges and responsibilities of adolescence. These books don’t contain the level of violence or sexuality acceptable in young adult novels, though some middle-grade books intended for the older end of the spectrum may include mildly violent scenes or a first kiss.

The recommended age range for a middle-grade novel is not usually apparent on the book itself. You can find it on a publisher’s site (sometimes!) or in a reputable review, but keep in mind that your child may — or may not — be ready for a book with some content that skews older. If your child brings home a book you object to, you will have to decide where you stand on censoring your child’s reading choices. But keep in mind that with books — as opposed to movies or TV shows — children can easily tune out or skip over material they’re not emotionally ready for.

What to Look For

What’s my place in this big, crazy world? Children of this age are interested both in defining their own identities and in investigating questions about the larger world. A good middle-grade book can be surprisingly philosophical, taking on notions like fairness, justice, freedom and compassion. Some of the best are historical fiction set in challenging time periods like the Civil War, the Holocaust or the Civil Rights Era. They often deftly address, in an age-appropriate way, real-world problems your child is just becoming aware of: ideas like racism, refugees, the foster care system and mental illness. Tip: Whatever personal challenge your child is navigating — bullying, the end of a friendship, social anxiety, a cross-country move, or death or illness in the family — there is a good middle-grade novel that can help him or her get through it. Ask a librarian or experienced bookseller for a recommendation.

The kid stays in the picture. In great middle-grade novels, children are the protagonists; they solve problems, have adventures unmediated by adults and are generally the stars of their own shows. That’s why orphans are so common in classic children’s literature. Even in contemporary middle-grade fiction, parents seem to die or be otherwise unavailable at an improbable rate, forcing child characters to bravely confront challenges.

But grown-ups count, too. Even so, a great middle-grade novel will have at least one admirable adult character, and sometimes a few. This is the age that children realize the grown-up world is fallible, but they still need role models to help and guide them.

Series are still big. Just as with chapter book readers, middle-grade readers like to stay with their favorite characters for multiple books. Middle-grade series lean more toward fantasy than realism, so in each book, young readers are likely to learn more about the rules, history and structure of a series’s world.

Fantasy worlds rule. Many of the best middle-grade books are fantasy, and some of the best fantasy novels, period, were originally intended for middle-grade readers (from “A Wrinkle in Time,” to a certain young boarding-school wizard). Middle-grade readers like a chance to escape through reading. That’s where fantasy novels come in — they offer fully thought-out worlds that have their own rules, with just enough distance from reality for a young reader to reflect on the rules of his own world.

• The Best Series
• Stand Alone Favorites

• The Best Series

  “Percy Jackson” by Rick Riordan

  A boy battles mythological monsters. Read a review.
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  “The Secret Series” by Pseudonymous Bosch

  Snooping sleuths suffer assaults on the senses.
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  “The Giver” by Lois Lowry

  Exploring human connections in a postapocalyptic world.
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  “Because of Mr. Terupt” by Rob Buyea

  Seven children offer their own perspectives on what makes their teacher so special.
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  “Birchbark House” by Louise Erdrich

  The story of a young Ojibwa girl living on an island in Lake Superior around 1847.
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• Stand Alone Favorites

  “When You Reach Me” by Rebecca Stead
  In this taut novel, every word, every sentence has meaning and substance.
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  “Flora & Ulysses” by Kate DiCamillo

  A cynic meets an unlikely superhero.
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  “Wonder” by R.J. Palacio

  A boy with a facial deformity enters a mainstream school.
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  “The Watsons Go to Birmingham” by Christopher Paul Curtis

  A novel that is both comic and deeply moving.
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  “The One and Only Ivan” by Katherine Applegate

  Inspired by the true story of a captive gorilla known as Ivan, this illustrated book is told from the point of view of Ivan himself.
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Young Adult

Ages 12-Up

The category of Young Adult, or Y.A., books is a relatively recent invention, meant to specify books written both about and (primarily) for teenagers. These books range from the lyrical and literary to the racy and commercial, but they are all concerned with coming-of-age themes like navigating conflicts with authority or a first serious romantic relationship. These days, dark subjects like suicide and abuse are common.

Our Favorite Y.A. Books

Katsa lives in a world where selected people are given a Grace, a special talent that can be anything from dancing to swimming. Katsa’s is killing.
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A 16-year-old heroine faces the medical realities of cancer. Read the review.
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A girl copes with life under the Nazis by stealing books. Read the review.
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Arnold Spirit Jr. is the geekiest Indian on the Spokane Reservation. Read the review.
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You can read “Brown Girl Dreaming” in one sitting, but it is as rich a spread as the potluck table at a family reunion. Read the review.
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Short stories for children. Read online with pictures.

This section of our site contains short stories Russian writers for children of all ages.
Small works are more easily perceived by young readers. The child can listen to short stories to the end with pleasure. A little later, he himself will begin to read these small masterpieces of literature.
Parents often do not have enough time to read long books. For example, before going to bed or on the road. In these cases, our selection of short stories will be very useful to you.
In addition, short stories will help the child learn to retell texts :
— Before reading the story, explain to the child the meaning of all incomprehensible words and situations;
- After reading a short story, ask questions to find out the degree of understanding of the text. If the child is not ready to retell the text in full, then you can start with a partial retelling. For example, you tell the text, and the child completes individual words or sentences.
- Then ask them to retell the text on their own. If difficulties arise, then your tips and leading questions will help to master the retelling!
- You can tell the text in turn. So you teach your child not only to talk, but also to listen carefully.

A well-known story about two friends and a kitten whose hat fell off a chest of drawers. The boys at first thought that the hat had come to life and were very frightened. But soon the secret of the hat was discovered... The story The living hat read The hat was lying on...

Dragunsky's funny and instructive story about how Denis imagined himself as an adult. The boy dreamed about how he would scold his father, mother and grandmother for misbehavior: being late, walking without a hat, talking at dinner, etc. This ...

A funny story about a boy who didn't want to eat semolina. Mom promised to take him to the Kremlin if he ate all the porridge. Deniska adds sugar, salt, water and even horseradish to the porridge to make it more…

Dragunsky's story about three guys who didn't pronounce the letter Sh. It all started when a truck with a Christmas tree drove into the courtyard of the house. Alyonka says: “Look, there are detectives hanging on the Christmas tree.” This is where it started…

A story about a boy and a girl who read the fairy tale Three Little Pigs and decided to build a house out of blankets and chairs. And suddenly it seemed to the boy that a gray wolf grabbed his leg ... The story of the Entertainer read We and ...

An instructive story about shame, about not taking other people's things, about the fact that a misdemeanor will be punished. Read the story about Lyola and Minka, who ate candy from the New Year tree and opened presents… Christmas tree read…

An instructive story about the blacksmith's son Vasya. The boy was very fond of riding a cart drawn by his father's horse. The blacksmith did not approve of this. Once Vasya took a cart and went to the forest. A branch got into the wheel and started whipping the boy…

A story about a boy named Bobka, who had wonderful khaki pants. Climbing over the fence, the boy tore his pants, and his mother got angry and did not sew them up. Bobka decided to put the patch himself... The story Patch to read U...

One day Deniska and Mishka played hockey and were late for the lessons. They came up with a good reason, but never agreed. As a result, the deceit came out. A fire in an outbuilding or a feat in the ice read We…

Pyotr Terentyev, going to war, received from his son a beetle, which he found in the garden, as a gift. Peter put him in a box, fed him and let him fly. The beetle went through the whole war with the soldier. Adventures of a rhinoceros beetle…

This story is about a four-year-old boy, Petya. Mom took great care of him, fed him with a spoon and dressed him. One morning, mother put Petya on his feet from the bed, and he fell. Mom was terribly scared and even called ...

Dragunsky's humorous story about two friends, Denisk and Pavel, who met on the last day of summer. The boys ate watermelon and talked about how they spent their holidays. And then Pavel began to brag that he had been studying English all summer. Deniska…

A funny story about how two friends dreamed of driving a car. Once a car drove into the yard and the boys began to find out what brand it was. And then Mishka sat on the bumper and offered to ride it ... Story ...

A story about two brothers who came with their mother to Moscow to visit their aunt. When the adults left home, the boys also decided to see the city and ride the subway. Yes, but the brothers are underground...

A story about Mishenka, to whom his mother promised a lollipop for his good behavior. While mom was not at home, the boy climbed into the sideboard, found a lollipop in the sugar bowl and began to suck it. Having eaten all the candy, he decided to put the sugar bowl on…

A story about Lyola and Minka, who were visited by their grandmother. Grandma brought cakes. But Lele wanted something else and she asked her grandmother about it. The grandmother was angry with the girl, depriving her of a gift - new coins. They are all…

"Four Wishes" tells about the delights of all seasons. The boy Mitya did not want winter to end, then he really liked spring, then summer ... And all because every season is beautiful in its own way! Four wishes to read Mitya...

A short story about how dad taught Mitya to be neat. The boy quickly planed the stick and it turned out not very smoothly. Papa said that the knife was in a hurry and he had to be taught patience. A hasty knife to read Mitya planed a stick, planed ...

A story about a boy, Alik, who was very afraid of policemen. Once Alik got lost, a policeman approached him, but the boy started to run. Then he was caught, but he still did not want to talk to the law enforcement officer... The story of the policeman read More...

The story is about a girl Tanya, who herself grew currants from cuttings. To do this, she had to work hard: pull out the mugs, dig up the sod, plant cuttings and take care of them. But the work was not in vain. Already next year…

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• The legend of Arion

  Herodotus

  This legend was recorded by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who widely used myths and legends in his writings. Arion defeated the greed and greed of people with his art, beauty and charm. "The Legend of Arion" read ... Periander was a tyrant1 of Corinth. S…

• Labors of Hercules. Animal Farm of King Avgiy

  Myths of Ancient Greece, Kun N.A.

  The feat of Hercules, when in one day he cleared the entire barnyard of Avgius, who had innumerable herds, of manure. "Animal Farm of King Avgiy" read Soon, Eurystheus gave a new assignment to Hercules. He had to clear the whole of manure…

• Heracles' exploits. Apples of the Hesperides

  myths of Ancient Greece, Kun N. A.

  The myth about the last, twelfth, feat of Hercules, when he had to get three golden apples from the gardens of the great titan, who holds the vault of heaven on his shoulders. "Apples of the Hesperides" read The most difficult feat of Hercules in the service of Eurystheus ...

• Colorful fairy tales

  Odoevsky V.F.

  In unusual stories, alternating like pieces of glass in a kaleidoscope, Odoevsky depicts the negative qualities of people covered with a veil of decency from above... Table of contents: ♦   Chapter I Introduction ♦   Chapter II in the polynya

  Astafiev V.P.

  A story about how a goose and her goslings got into a polynya on the Yenisei. The hero of the story and his friends saved the geese from death, they risked themselves. "Geese in the polynya" read Freezing on the Yenisei comes gradually. First…

• Smell of hay

  Astafiev V. P.

  Two boys, cousins, are eager to help their grandfather and uncle bring hay from distant mowing. However, they are not taken with them, the road is hard, the work is difficult. But in the evening, when the hay is already in the yard, the guys are eager and ...

• Autumn sorrows and joys

  Autumn is a hot time. It is necessary to collect and prepare the entire crop. A story about how a large amount of cabbage is salted for the winter in one of the Siberian villages. It is in some way a mystical and interesting ritual and process….

• Photo where I am not present

  Astafiev V.P.

  A story about true friendship, sincere love for the native land and shows what a real teacher should be like. It is important to remember those who were with you as a child. These people can be an important part of your life. And together…

• Russian women

  Nekrasov N. A.

  Contents: ♦ I. Princess Trubetskaya ♦ Part one ♦ Part two ♦ Princess M.N. Volkonskaya ♦ Chapter I ♦ Chapter II ♦ Chapter III ♦ Chapter IV…

• Tam Glen

  Burns R.

  Oh, aunt, I ask for advice! With such a young man, I don’t need to be afraid of the fate of change. I’ll be glad of poverty, — If only I would be with me…

• Lines about war and love

  Burns R. I give my blood In that life-creating battle, What we call love. I glorify the triumph of the world, Contentment and prosperity. It is more pleasant to create one Than to destroy a dozen!

• What's a girl to do

  Burns R.

  What's a girl to do? What shall I do, little girl? How shall I, little girl, live with my hubby? He is grouchy and sick, always dissatisfied. There is coldness in his chest, ice in his hands. He groans, ...

• has analogues in the tales of many other peoples. Our site presents a version of a folk tale in the processing of A.N. Tolstoy. "Kolobok" read Once upon a time there was an old man with an old woman. Here ...

• 2 - Three little pigs

  Mikhalkov S.

  A fairy tale about three little pigs who built houses for themselves. One brother built a house out of straw, another out of twigs and twigs, and a third out of bricks. "Three Little Pigs" read Once upon a time there were three little pigs in the world. Three brothers. All…

• 3 - Little Red Riding Hood

  Charles Perrault

  A short story about a trusting girl and a cunning gray wolf. Disobeying her mother, the girl turns off the road and talks to a stranger - a gray wolf ... "Little Red Riding Hood" read Once upon a time there was a little girl. Her mother loved her without memory, and her grandmother ...

• 4 - Turnip

  Russian folk tale

  Turnip is a famous fairy tale for the little ones with a lot of repetitions. The child quickly remembers the sequence of presentation and a simple plot. "Turnip" read Grandfather planted a turnip and says: - Grow a turnip, sweet, sweet! Grow big, big! A turnip has grown, sweet and big, big….

• 5 - Bremen town musicians

  Entin Yu.S. and Livanov V.B.

  The story of the animals and the young Troubadour who went to the city of Bremen to become street musicians. In the city they stopped in front of the royal castle. The king and princess came out onto the balcony of the palace, the townspeople ran to the square and it began ...

• 6 - Seven-flower flower

  Kataev V.P.

  A fairy tale about a girl Zhenya, who was presented with a magic seven-flower flower. It had seven petals and could grant any seven wishes. Zhenya spent the first six wishes, but did not get any pleasure and only made her last wish ... test and melt even an icy heart! "The Snow Queen" read Table of contents: ♦   The first story, which tells about . ..0018

• 8 - Wolf and seven kids

  Russian folk tale

  The fairy tale tells about an evil wolf who changed his voice, made his way into the goat's house and ate the little kids. But the mother goat will be able to save her children and get rid of the wolf. "The Wolf and the Seven Kids" read Once upon a time there was a goat with kids ....

• 9 - The Tale of Tsar Saltan

  Pushkin A.S.

  The tale of Tsar Saltan, of his son, the glorious and mighty hero Prince Gvidon Saltanovich, and of the beautiful Swan Princess was created on the basis of the folk tale "Wonderful Sons". Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin enriched the folk work with new plot twists, ...

• 10 - Three Bears

  Russian folk tale

  Three Bears is a fairy tale about a girl who got lost in the forest and ended up in a house of bears. There she behaved very rudely: without permission, she ate from every cup, sat on every chair, lay down in every bed, . ..

• 11 - Geese-Swans

  the swan geese carried the boy away and the little sister went to look for him. The stove, apple tree and river helped the girl save her brother. Read the fairy tale in the processing of A.N. Tolstoy. "Geese-swans" read There lived a man and a woman. At…

• 12 - The Frog Princess

  Russian folk tale

  The Frog Princess is a Russian folk tale where the main character, Ivan Tsarevich, married a frog by the will of fate. Ivan had no idea that his wife was Vasilisa the Wise, turned by Koshchei into a frog. Ivan hurried, burned the frog's skin and had to ...

• 13 - The Fox and the Crane

  Russian folk tale

  The Fox and the Crane is a fairy tale about friendship between a cunning fox and a clever crane. The crane could not eat the semolina porridge, which the Fox smeared on a plate. He invited her to his place and treated her to a delicious okroshka, which he put . ..

• 14 - Masha and the Bear

  Russian folk tale

  Masha and the Bear is a fairy tale about a girl who got lost in the forest and ended up in a bear's hut. The bear did not let Mashenka go home, however, the girl came up with a way to return to her grandparents. Masha and ...

• 15 - The Wizard of the Emerald City

  Volkov A.M.

  "The Wizard of the Emerald City" - a fairy tale by Alexander Volkov written at 1939 based on the fairy tale by the American writer Frank Baum "The Wise Man of Oz" with some changes. In 1959, a new edition of the book was published, significantly revised ...

• 16 - Winnie the Pooh and all, all, all

  Alan Milne

  A cheerful and beloved fairy tale about Winnie the Pooh does not obey the laws of the fairy tale genre. The tale is devoid of negative characters, the struggle between good and evil forces. The main characters of the tale are the toys of the boy Christopher, with whom funny situations happen in a magical ...

• 17 - The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish

  Pushkin A.S.

  The tale of a poor fisherman who caught a golden fish in his net. The old man took pity on the fish, released it into the sea. For this, the fish promised to fulfill his every wish. The old man did not ask for anything, but when he returned home, he told about…

• 18 - Hen Ryaba

  Russian folk tale

  Hen Ryaba is the first fairy tale-parable that mothers read to their babies. Children quickly grasp a simple plot and remember it by heart. Hen Ryaba read Once upon a time there was a grandfather and a woman. And they had a Ryaba Hen. The chicken laid an egg, yes ...

• 19 - The Little Mermaid

  Hans Christian Andersen

  A touching tale about the strong love of the Little Mermaid for the prince. The little mermaid is ready to give up everything that is dear to her for the sake of the human soul and the love of the prince ... The fairy tale formed the basis of the plots of many films, cartoons and musicals. The Little Mermaid read In the open…

• 20 - Thumbelina

  Hans Christian Andersen

  The fairy tale about Thumbelina is loved by children all over the world. A tiny girl born from a flower goes through many trials on the way to her happiness. Fate rewards Thumbelina for her kind heart. The swallow she rescued earlier endures...

• 21 - Puss in Boots

  Charles Perrault

  The tale of an unusual cat that was inherited by a younger brother from a miller's father. The young man was not very happy at first with his share of the inheritance, but the cunning and smart cat made him the richest man and son-in-law of the king ... The cat in ...

• 22 - Sleeping Beauty

  Charles Perrault celebration in honor of his birth. The old fairy predicted the girl's death from a spindle prick, but the good fairy was able to commute the sentence. The girl did not die, but fell asleep on ...

• 23 - Ax porridge

  Russian folk tale

  Ax porridge is a short fairy tale about a witty soldier. The greedy old woman did not want to feed the soldier, but he outwitted her and got porridge with butter ... Read porridge from an ax The old soldier went on a visit. Tired of…

• 24 - The Ugly Duckling

  Hans Christian Andersen

  A fairy tale about the miraculous transformation of an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan. The duckling was born unlike his brothers, the inhabitants of the poultry yard disliked him for his dissimilarity to the others. The duckling had to leave the house and go through many trials before he…

• 25 - Bean seed

  Russian folk tale

  The cockerel and the bean seed is a Russian folk tale about a rooster who was always in a hurry when he pecked at the seeds. The hen warned him all the time and asked him to peck more slowly. One day he choked on a bean seed and fell down. But the chicken…

• 26 - The Princess and the Pea

  Hans Christian Andersen

  A short story about how the prince wanted to marry a real princess. One day, a girl knocked on the gate, who was soaked to the skin, but assured that she was a real princess. She was allowed to sleep, and the old queen gave her a check……

• 27 - Fear has big eyes

  Russian folk tale

  Fear has big eyes - a short fairy tale about the fact that from fear you can see what was not really ... (from the collection of M.M. Serova) Fear eyes are big to read Once upon a time there was an old grandmother, a laughing granddaughter, a hen-klohtushka and a mouse-leaf. Each ...

• 28 - Sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka

  Russian folk tale

  Sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka is a fairy tale about how the younger brother disobeyed his sister, got drunk from a hoof and turned into a goat . .. Sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka read Once upon a time there was an old man and an old woman, they had ...

• 29 - Sivka Burka

  Russian folk tale

  Sivka-Burka is a fairy tale about the adventures of Ivan the Fool and his gallant horse. Sivka Burka read The old man had three sons: two smart ones, and the third Ivanushka the Fool; day and night the fool is lying on the stove. The old man sowed wheat, and it grew ... good cat ... Baba Yaga read Once upon a time there was a husband and wife, and they had a daughter. The wife fell ill and died. Grieved, grieved ...

• 31 - Teremok

  Russian folk audio fairy tale

  Listen to the Russian folk tale "Teremok" online on the Mishkina Books website!

• 32 - Twelve months

  Samuil Marshak

  Do you know how many months there are in a year? - Twelve. And what are their names? — January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. As soon as one month ends, another immediately begins. And…

• 33 - Crocodile Gena and his friends

  Uspensky E.N.

  The tale of the lonely crocodile Gena. Coming home from work from the zoo, he was left alone and bored. Crocodile Gena decided to make friends with someone. He wrote an announcement that he was looking for friends, hung them around the city and ...

• 34 - The Tale of the Priest and his worker Balda

  Pushkin A.S.

  The tale of the stingy priest and resourceful worker Balda. Somehow Balda was hired for the service for three clicks on the forehead of the priest. When the time of reckoning was approaching, the priest decided to give Balda an impossible task in order to get rid of him. But Balda…

• 35 - Little Humpbacked Horse

  Ershov P.

  An old man lived in a village and had three sons. They grew wheat and sold it in the market. But then someone got into the habit of trampling wheat in the field at night ... Table of contents: ♦ Part one. It begins…

• 36 - Alice in Wonderland

  Carroll L.

  A fascinating story about a girl Alice who met a talking White Rabbit and got into amazing worlds where she met very unusual characters… Chapter 1. Down Alice's rabbit hole tired of sitting with my sister doing nothing on the shore ...

• 37 - The Little Prince

  Antoine de Saint-Exupery

  A fairy tale about how a pilot, who remained a child at heart, met the Little Prince in the desert, who arrived from another planet. Dedication I ask the children to forgive me for dedicating this book to an adult. I'll justify it: this one…

We read stories and fairy tales for children syllable by syllable. Learning to read by syllables in a playful way Children's books to read by syllables

The beginning of the school year is also in kindergarten. Children gradually come from holidays. Many have learned letters over the summer and begin to read a little by syllables.

Where do syllable-reading texts come from? Of course, from the primer. Old primers are interesting, according to which grandmothers studied. The second source is the Internet. We also prepare texts for our pupils of 5-6 years old, depending on the available skills, starting with simple and short texts. It is better to read little by little, but more often.

In the first syllable-reading texts, each sentence starts on a new line. This makes it easier for children to read the text. The first texts to read by syllables should be printed large.

It is useful to accompany them with coloring pages, which is a familiar activity for preschoolers. Tasks are like this.

1. First you need to read to your mother, grandmother or someone else.
2. Colorize.
3. Sign items in the picture.

Why is it worth writing words? When a child reads, hearing and vision interact. When writing, - auditory (I pronounce), visual (I fix the image of the word) and motor analyzers.

In addition to narrative texts, it is useful to use short simple verses for reading by syllables.

How to prepare texts for reading by syllables?

Parents teaching their child to read can prepare the material themselves. You need to know the following. Texts for reading by syllables may look different. It all depends on how we divide the word into syllables.

1. Divide words into syllables as in the primer with hyphens (short horizontal lines). Below, several texts are divided into syllables in this way.

2. Words are divided into syllables by vertical lines.

3. Syllables are outlined from below with arcs.

Something like this. It is better to start with the first option with hyphens. The first texts should be very simple in content, as below, gradually getting more complicated.. First, you give a picture for coloring. And then the kid draws himself according to the meaning of the text. Reading texts can also be downloaded from our website. Just prepare them in one of the ways suggested above.

Texts for reading by syllables

This is the cat Ku-zya.

At night Ku-zya lo-vil mice.

That's why the cat was sleeping on di-va-ne.

And we are si-de-li in the hole.

1. Cat's name?
2. What are his actions?
3. Why did mice sit in a mink?

Fishing.

Sa-ni had a daughter.

Sa-nya on-ko-fell cher-wei.

He went to the river.

There are fish in the river.

Sa-nya lo-vil fish-boo.

1. Boy's name?
2. What did he do?
3. How many fish did you catch?

De-re.

E-de-re-vo.

At the de-re-va trunk.

At de-re-va sheet.

At the de-re-va vet-ki.

Question. Na-zo-vi de-re-vo.

Ko-ro-va.

Ko-ro-wa eats se-no.

Ko-ro-wa yes mo-lo-ko.

Ma-sha love-beat mo-lo-ko.

Ma-sha loves ka-shu.

Ma-sha has ru-my-cheeks.

Question. Why does Masha have rosy cheeks? (For some reason, all mothers thought about diathesis)

In the woods.

De-ti went to the forest.

They are co-bi-ra-li ma-li-nu.

Next to the house for-thre-shcha-whether bushes.

De-ti is-pu-ha-lis.

And from the bushes you-be-zh-la so-ba-ka Zhuch-ka.

Everyone has become ve-se-lo.

1. Where did the children go?
2. What were they doing in the forest?
3. Who scared the kids?

Summer

Summer is red.

Why is it red?

Red-no-e, means beautiful.

Ze-le-ny-e-le-sa.

Go-lu-bo-e no-bo.

Bright colors.

Beautiful.

Na-ri-sui le-to.

1. Why is summer red?
2. What forests?
3. What a sky
4. What flowers?
5. Why do you like summer?

Ko-lo-kol-chi-ki

Ko-lo-kol-chi-ki-le-you flowers.

Why o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-e?

It's because they are here in the field and on the lu-gu.

Ko-lo-kol-chi-ki si-ni-e

Li-za gu-la-et in the meadow.

Li-za co-bi-ra-et ko-lo-kol-chi-ki.

Li-za has a v-ma v-za.

There ko-lo-kol-chi-ki.

Na-ri-sui ko-lo-kol-chi-ki.

1. Why bluebells wild flowers?
2. What color are the bells?
3. Where does Liza walk?
4. Where will Liza put the bells at home?

Your little one has learned the letters, actively adding syllables and small words. It's time to move on to more complex, but interesting tasks - reading texts. But here parents and teachers expect some difficulties. It is impossible to offer a preschooler text cards without taking into account the characteristics of age, the degree of development of the skill of syllable reading. We will tell you in our article how to choose texts for reading for preschoolers, where to find and how to correctly print texts for reading by syllables for younger and older preschoolers.

Age characteristics of preschoolers

Kindergarteners after 5 years are very active, mobile, inquisitive. They rapidly grow up, grow wiser, develop physically and mentally.
When preparing for school, parents and teachers should pay attention to the following age characteristics of children aged 4-7:

• The main need of kindergarteners is communication and games. Children ask a lot of questions to adults, themselves, peers. Learn by playing.
• Leading mental function - imagination, fantasy. This helps to show creativity.
• Emotions, impressions, positive experiences are important for further development, the desire to continue activities. Kindergartener 5-7 years old needs praise, support, lack of comparison with other children.
• Cognitive processes are actively developing: attention, memory. At 5-7 years old, preschoolers can remember and analyze a large amount of information. But you need to give it in doses, trying not to overload the children's brain in one lesson.
• Speech becomes more developed. At the age of 5, the kid speaks in complex sentences, can pick up several synonyms for one word, knows a lot of poems, riddles, and several fairy tales by heart.
• Kindergartener wants to learn new things and learn. The kid is spurred on by curiosity, he is interested in everything new, unknown.

Consider the age and individual characteristics of preschoolers when choosing texts to read. In this case, the training sessions will be more effective.

How to work with texts

Reading poems, short stories for preschoolers - a new kind of work. The difficulty of completing the reading task lies in the fact that the kindergartener does not always understand the meaning of the passage. To avoid this, you need to approach the choice of material and methods of its processing correctly. Build the learning process as follows:

1. Match handouts to the age of the student. For kids 4-5 years old, cards of 1-3 sentences, for older preschoolers - 4-5 sentences.
2. Pay attention to the number of words in the sentences. There should be few of them. Simple texts for reading for preschoolers are easier to digest, but you can’t stay at an easy level for a long time.
3. Move on to working with text cards after automating syllabic reading.
4. Read in a chain in a group or together with adults in individual work.
5. Do not rush the child. At the learning stage, reading comprehension is important, not the speed of reading and the amount of time spent.

Texts for children 4-5 years old

Preschoolers need special suggestion cards. Reading by syllables for children under 5 years old is best accompanied by text with pictures. For example, coloring pages with comments. Coloring will be an additional task.

If we read by syllables for the first time, reading texts should consist of 1-2 sentences. Use small words, 1-2 syllables. Cards can be prepared independently, found on the web and printed.

For young students, it is important that there is a hyphen or other separator between syllables. Choose a font for printing material for reading by syllables at 4 years old, large, bold.

• Learning to read by syllables through working with text does not have to start after learning the entire alphabet. Find for reading to children from 5 years old and print out individual sentences from such words, which consist of learned letters. There are many of them in the Zhukova alphabet.
• At the age of 4 to 5, it is not necessary to offer children a whole fairy tale, a book. Large volumes scare kids, distract with colorful drawings on other pages. Print only the section you want.
• Play with a passage, a poem. You can read a word separately, then a phrase, then a whole syntactic unit.
• Work according to the following algorithm. First we read, then we discuss, draw, fantasize.

Tasks

After reading the texts, be sure to study the material additionally. This is necessary for a solid assimilation of information, the formation of meaningful reading skills. Offer preschoolers the following types of assignments for the passage:

1. Brief summary.
   Kindergartener should tell what he learned, what was the main information in the text. It is advisable to use the words read, to name the names of the characters, their actions.
2. Answer the questions.
   Speech therapist, parent ask 1-3 simple questions about the material read.
   If the child does not answer them, read the passage together with the adult's comments.
3. Draw a picture.
   We play illustrators. Children come up with a plot picture based on the information received from the passage, the poem. It could be homework.
4. What happened next?
   Offer to dream up, think about what could happen to the characters next.

Reading texts with pictures and tasks:

9000

texts for children 6-7 years old

If you are preparing reading texts for children aged 6-7, then you can print entire paragraphs. For work, choose excerpts from fairy tales, short stories. With large works, you can work 2-3 lessons. Do not forget about short stories from the alphabet or primer.

• Work through the sentences in a chain, try to involve each student.
• After reading the short passage for the first time, discuss the content. If you find any misunderstandings of the information, read the passage again.
• If we read individually by syllables, different texts for reading to children of 7 years old should be printed on separate sheets.

Texts with tails:

Children's texts for reading by syllables. Read on your own. When a child learns to read, some children need to read syllable by syllable, and some are more comfortable reading in full words without dashes. The page provides simple texts in both versions. We read in syllables.

There was a thunderstorm. It was pouring heavy rain. Gre-chalk thunder. Stre-ko-za-bra-la-s under the mushroom. Mi-mo on do-ro-ge half-evil u-lit-ka. Stre-ko-for go-vo-rit:
-U-lit-ka, u-lit-ka! Come to me. Here soo-ho, like under. roofs.
- I don't need a roof! My house is with me.

Thunderstorm

There was a thunderstorm. It was pouring heavy rain. Thunder rumbled. The dragonfly climbed under the mushroom. A snail was crawling along the road. Dragonfly says:
- Snail, snail! Come to me. It's dry as hell in here. roof.
- I don't need a roof! My house is with me.

It's not just a business

Mi-sha slo-small ma-le-n-cue du-bok.
– Why did you do this? - oh-gor-chi-la-s Ma-sha.
-Yes, it's just a hundred ve-dot-ka!
- No, you gu-beat pain-sho-e, mo-gu-che-de-re-vo, - said Ma-sha.

It's not just a twig

Misha broke a small oak tree.
– Why did you do it? Masha was upset.
- Yes, it's just a twig!
- No, you destroyed a big, mighty tree, - said Masha.

Wow

Re-bya-ta gu-la-li in the forest. Went-la Na-dya on-la-well. Looks: oh-ko-lo no-e red-we-e I-go-dy. I-a year would-lo not-much. Na-dya collected them in la-dosh-ku, but didn’t eat.
- No! Vasya! Come to me! Earth-la-no-ka! Per-va-I earth-la-no-ka!
When-be-zha-whether be-bya-ta. And everyone is two years old
- Oh, how delicious!
Soon there will be a lot of earth-la-no-ki. But the first I-go-dy-sa-we-e sun-nye.

Strawberries

The guys were walking in the forest. Nadia stepped out into the clearing. Looks: there are red berries near her. There were few berries. Nadia gathered them in her palm, but did not eat.
- Petya! Vasya! Come to me! Strawberries! First strawberry!
The guys came running. And everyone has two berries.
-Oh, how delicious!
Soon there will be a lot of strawberries. But the first berries are the most delicious.

U-tro

A boy and a girl are going to school.
And Le-na is drinking tea.
- Daughter, it's already seven o'clock!
-Our watch is too-three, ma-moch-ka!
- No, Le-night-ka. Hours are right. And you de-la-eat everything honey-le-no.

Morning

A boy and a girl go to school.
And Lena is drinking tea.
- Daughter, it's already eight o'clock! - Mom says
Lena looks at her watch.
-Our clock is running too fast, Mommy!
- No, Lenochka. The clock is running right. And you do everything slowly.

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Russian folk tale "Baba Yaga" in pictures. The text is divided into syllables to make it easier to read.

Print the pages, staple them together to make a coloring book. You can read the story and color the pictures.

Below is just the text of the fairy tale by syllables.

In the archive you will find both text and pictures.

285)

Zhi-la - would-la de-voch-ka. Called e-yo A-le-nush-koy. Native ma-tush-ki didn’t have-lo. And o-tets same-nil-sya on an evil ma-che-he.
Don't-want-bi-la ma-che-ha A-le-nush-ku and for-ho-te-la e-e with the light to live. Called o-on pad-che-ri-tsu and go-vo-rit: - Go-pay to my sister-tre, from-not-si to her ba-ra-no-check.
A-le-nush-ka went through the ancient forest to search for ma-che-hee-well ses-true. I-child, but my self is so scary!
U-wee-de-la o-na from bush-ku on chicken-knives. Si-dit on le-sen-ke black cat and shi-pit on de-voch-ku. But A-le-nush-ka in-gla-di-la e-go on the sher-stke and y-gos-ti-la ba-ra-night-coy.
The cat and go-vo-rit: - Spa-si-bo, good-ra-I de-voch-ka. Run fast from here, yes, here Ba-ba Ya-ha lives. Soon must come.
It really is all for-gro-ho-ta-lo: le-tit Ba-ba Ya-ga Kos-tya-na-ya No-ga in de-re-vyan-noy stu-pe, in- scrap raz-ma-hi-va-et.
- Go-in-ri, why did you come, otherwise I'll eat you!
Ras-ska-za-la to her A-le-nush-ka about ma-che-hu.
- Ho-ro-sho, - go-vo-rit Ba-ba Ya-ga.
- Po-zhu-be-do-ro-gu to ma-che-hee-noy ses-tre, if you are sot-kyo by-lot-but yes de-syat ru-ba -shek me sew-eat.
If you don't eat, I'll eat you.
Za-pla-ka-la A-le-nush-ka, and the cat says to her:
- Do not worry. Run to my.
I will do all the work for you. And you take a comb and in-lo-ten-tse be-lo-e - oh-no you-be-go-dyat-sya.
Po-bla-go-da-ri-la
Sat ko-tik on-lot-but weave. Ba-ba Ya-ga cry-chit from the yard:
- Do you weave in a lot-but, de vi-tsa?
- Weaving, weaving, - from-ve-cha-et ko-tic.
Ba-ba I-ga for-look-well-la in the window and in-nya-la, what is it about-ma-well-whether. Ki-nu-las o-na in ho-nu.
Og-la-well-las A-le-nush-ka: Ba-ba Ya-ga e-yo-go-nya-et.
Bro-si-la oh-on-then-yes-lo-ten-tse white-lo-e behind the back-well - there was a re-ka shi-ro-ka-ya.
Ba-ba Ya-ga bul-tyh in the water. On-si-lu got out and again in go-nu bro-si-las. Sov-this is already up to-go-nya-et A-le-nush-ku.
Bro-si-la then A-le-nush-ka gre-ben - you-grew-behind-di forest thick and dre-mu-chi. And sa-ma further on-be-zha-la.
Sta-la Ba-ba Ya-ga through the forest pro-bi-army-sya: de-re-vya stand you-so-ki-e, ko-rya-gi lie ko-rya-you- e, kick tor-chat thick-e.
Og-la-well-laid A-le-nush-ka and vi-dit: when-it-mi-la Ba-ba Ya-ga Kos-tya-na-ya No-ha - you are completely out of your strength -be-las!
Pri-be-zha-la A-le-nush-ka do-my and ras-ska-for-la ba-tyush-ke, how ho-te-la ruin e-yo ma-che-ha and like a black cat e-e from Ba-i would save Ya-gi.
Ras-ser-dil-sya about-father on ma-che-hu and kicked her out of the house.
- Don't you hurt me - get away!
A black cat tick came to visit A-le-nush-ke.
In-gos-til - in-gost-il ko-tik and for-ever-yes live os-tal-sya. That would be joy-la A-le-nush-ke!

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Learning to read by syllables - this stage in teaching children to read is one of the most important and difficult. Often parents simply do not know how to teach a child to pronounce two letters together and get stuck on it for a long time. Tired of the endless repetition of "ME and A will be MA", the child quickly loses interest, and learning to read turns into torment for the whole family. As a result, children who already know letters from the age of two or three cannot even read simple words by the age of five, not to mention reading sentences and books.

What to do next when the child has memorized the letters? Let's make a reservation right away that teaching a preschooler to read syllables can be started even BEFORE he has mastered the entire alphabet (moreover, some teachers insist that you need to move on to syllables as quickly as possible, without waiting for all the letters to be studied). But those letters that we will combine into syllables, the child must name without hesitation.

In order to start learning to read by syllables, it is enough for a child to know 3-4 vowels and a few consonants. First of all, take those consonants that can be pulled (S, Z, L, M, N, V, F), this will help teach the child the continuous pronunciation of the syllable. And this is a fundamentally important point.

So, let's look at some, in our opinion, the most effective methods that modern teachers offer for teaching a child how to put letters into syllables.

1. Playing "Trains"

(a game from the manual E. Baranova, O. Razumovskaya "How to teach your child to read").

Instead of boring cramming, invite your child to “ride the train”. All consonants are written on the rails along which our trailers will go, and vowels are written on the trailers themselves. We place the trailer on the rails so that a consonant appears in the window, and we name which station we got (for example, BA). Next, we move the trailer down the rails - to the next consonant and read the syllable that appears.

There is a similar manual in the cards "The game" Train ". We read syllables. from E. Sataeva

This game is good because the child does not need to be specially explained how to add syllables. It is enough to say: “Now we will ride the letter A, she will be our passenger, name all the stations at which we will make a stop.” To begin with, “ride” yourself - let the child move the trailer along the rails, and you loudly and clearly call the “stations”: BA, VA, GA, YES, ZHA, ZA, etc. Then invite your child to take turns doing this with you. During the game, listening to you, children easily grasp how to pronounce two sounds together. For the third time, the child will “ride” himself without much difficulty.

If the child does not know all the letters, stop only at those “stations” that are familiar to him. Next, we change the wagon. Now we roll the letters O, U, S. If the child can easily cope with the task, we complicate the task. For example, we ride at speed - timing which of the wagons will reach the end of the path first. Or another option: stopping at the station, the child must name not only the syllable, but also the words starting with this syllable (BO - barrel, side, Borya; VO - wolf, air, eight; GO - city, golfs, guests; DO - rain, daughter, boards, etc.).

Please note that with this game you can practice reading not only open syllables (with a vowel at the end), but also closed ones (with a consonant at the end).

To do this, take trailers where the vowels are written in front of the window, and proceed in the same way. Now we have a letter on the trailer not a passenger, but a driver, she is the main one, she is in front. First read the resulting “stations” with closed syllables yourself: AB, AB, AG, AD, AZH, AZ, etc., then offer the child a “ride”.

Remember that in this and other exercises, we first practice adding syllables with first-row vowels (A, O, E, U, Y), and then enter second-row vowels (I, E, E, Yu, I ) - the so-called "iotated" vowels, which make the sound preceding them soft.

When the child is good at reading separate tracks with syllables, alternate trailers with passengers and drivers, without prompting which trailer we will ride. This will help the child learn to clearly see exactly where the vowel is in the syllable (the syllable begins with it or ends with it). At first, learning to read by syllables in a child may have difficulties with this.

2. “Run” from one letter to another

(from "ABC for kids" by O. Zhukova)

This visual exercise will help your child learn to pronounce two letters together.

Before us is a path from one letter to another. To overcome it, you need to pull the first letter until the finger that we are leading along the path reaches the second letter. The main thing we are working on in this exercise is that there is no pause between the first and second sound. In order to make it more interesting to study, replace your finger with a figure of any animal / little man - let him run along the path and connect two letters.

(“Primer for kids” by E. Bakhtina , "Russian alphabet" by O. Zhukova and others).

Many authors of primers and alphabets use animated images of letters that need to be put into a syllable - they are friends, walk together in pairs, pull each other through obstacles. The main thing in such tasks, as in the previous exercise, is to name two letters together so that the two girlfriend letters stay together.

You don't even need special manuals or primers to use this technique. Print out several figures of boys and girls (animals, fairy-tale or fictional characters), write a letter on each of them. Let consonants be written on the figures of boys, and vowels on the figures of girls. Make friends with the kids. Check with your child that boys and girls or two girls can be friends, but it is not possible to make friends with two boys (pronounce two consonants together). Change pairs, put girls first in them, and then boys.

Read the syllables first in one order, then in reverse.

These few tricks are quite enough to teach a child how to put two letters into a syllable. And learning in the form of a game will allow you to avoid cramming and boring repetition of the same thing.

4. Games to reinforce the skill of adding letters

— Syllabic lotos

They are very easy to make by yourself, for this you need to pick up a few pictures - 6 for each card and print out the corresponding syllables.

• The manual “Syllables. Choose a picture according to the first syllable BA-, VA-, MA-, SA-, TA-. Educational lotto games. GEF DO "E. V. Vasilyeva - in this series there are several more manuals
“Letters, syllables and words. Lotto with verification” by A. Anikushena
• There are similar exercises in the book “Syllabic Tables. GEF "N. Neshchaeva

- Playing Store

Arrange toy items or pictures of them on the counter (for example, FISH-ba, DY-nya, PI-horns, BU-lka, YB-loki, ME-so). Prepare "money" - pieces of paper with the name of the first syllables of these words. A child can buy goods only for those “bills” on which the correct syllable is written.

Make an album with your child's own hands, in which a syllable is written on one page of the spread, and objects whose names begin with this syllable are written on the other. Periodically review and supplement these albums. For more effective learning to read, close one or the other half of the spread (so that the child does not have extra clues when naming a syllable or choosing words for a particular syllable).

This will help you "Cards for the sound and syllabic analysis of words."

— Game in the airfield (garages)

We write syllables large on sheets of paper, spread them around the room. These will be different airfields (garages) in our game. The child takes a toy plane (car), and the adult commands - on which airfield (in which garage) you need to land the plane (park the car).

For this exercise, Zaitsev's cubes or any cards with syllables (you can make them in the form of traces) are suitable. We build a long path from them - from one end of the room to the other. Choose two figurines / toys. You play one, the child plays the other. Roll the dice - take turns with your figures on the cards for as many moves as fell on the dice. Stepping on each card, name the syllable written on it.

For this game, you can also use various "rpg" games by writing syllables in circles on the playing field.

5. Reading simple words by syllables

Simultaneously with practicing syllables, we start reading simple words (of three or four letters). For clarity, so that the child understands what parts the word consists of, which letters should be read together and which separately, we recommend that the first words be composed of cards with syllables / individual letters or graphically divide the word into parts.

Two-syllable words can be written on two-part pictures. Pictures are easier to understand (the child is more willing to read the words written on them than just columns of words), plus it is clearly visible into which parts a word can be broken down when reading it syllable by syllable.

Learn more

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  Dinosaur in text
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  What color are you song
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  Newborn baby nursery rhymes
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  High frequency word activity