by Amanda Phillips

Created on: February 18, 2010   Last Updated: February 19, 2010

Fostering a Love of Independent Reading:
 When “Just Right” Books Are Just Wrong

    Ask any literacy expert about the key to success in language arts and reading, and  his answer is likely to suggest more reading.  For the parents of the avid bookworm, this would seem simple and easy, as their child is able to choose their own reading for pleasure materials.  For the struggling reader, however, the task of reading at home for “pleasure” can seem like a joke.  How, many parents ask, can I get my child who has difficulty with reading to choose independent reading books?  Often, teachers will say answer lies in “just right” books.  Let’s examine this.

    There is a lot of information out there about “just right” books.  One method for choosing these books is to have your child turn to a random page in a book and read through it.  As she reads, she is supposed to put up one finger for every word she doesn’t know or can’t read.  If she holds up only one finger, the book is too easy.  If she holds up two or three, the book is “just right” to read.  If she holds up four or more, the book is too hard, and she should make another selection.

    This is a solid method for determining if a book is too hard or easy, but how do you get your child over to the bookshelf in the first place?  What if all the “just right” books are babyish or boring?  What is a parent to do when her child wants to read short stories about Transformers instead of poetry?  Upon realizing these problems, many literature experts are saying, “Let them read anything—ANYTHING—so long as they love it.”

    As a teacher who has taught special education and general educations students from grades 1-5, I can tell you that many parents are a little shocked by this suggestion.  Many parents know about “just right” books and want to find a way of encouraging their child to read them.  However, struggling readers already take issue with the act of reading.  Forcing them to reading boring or babyish materials only deters them and makes them want to avoid reading at all costs.  Reading becomes a chore, while it should be pleasurable.

    Therefore, if your first grader wants to read about Transformers—even if the book isn’t “just right”—let him.  He will be exposed to print, even if he isn’t realizing it.  What’s more, he will enjoy himself, and this will lead him to want to read more in the future.  “Just right” books are for the classroom or the literacy coach to worry about.  As a parent, the best thing you can do is to grab your child and head to Borders or the public library.   Let go of any “just right” notions, and let your child pick books based on their content and covers.  Then, join in with your child and read a little of Diary of a Wimpy Kid to him or her.  Having your struggling reader enjoy the book he is sharing with you?  That’s “just right” after all.

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