Now that we have an tiny independent reader, we’ve been burning through beginner chapter books at an alarming rate. Thankfully we live about two blocks from a library, so we’ve been making regular visits after summer school to exchange reading material! The kiddo is reading at a grade 2 level (he’s just finished kindergarten) which is about on par with where I was at his age. He is so much like his mama, it’s wild!
A friend asked me recently how we “taught” our son to read, and the thing is, we’ve never actually directly taught him anything. My partner and I both read, widely and often, to him and with him and independently. We frequently visit libraries and second hand bookstores, our apartment is filled with books, and perhaps most importantly, we regularly express excitement about the books we find and read. My partner is an audiobook devotee, and I’ve always got a paperback on the bedside table. We talk about the books we’re reading, comparing them to books we’ve read before. Given how much his parents both enjoy reading, it’s only natural that our son would be eager to join in on the fun! Now he participates in our book conversations, telling us about his favourite parts of each story, and the characters he loved the most.
The truth is, you can’t expect your children to embrace something you don’t. Children of parents who do not read will still learn to read, and many of them can become confident, even voracious readers. But if you really want to instill a love of reading in your child, you must lead by example. Don’t forget that reading can take different (and no less valid) forms! My partner has a print disability, and discovering audiobooks in adulthood completely changed his relationship with books. He went from thinking he wasn’t a reader to devouring entire novels, burning through them on his commute. Reading with your ears is no less valid than reading with your eyes!
After all that preamble, here are a few books we read this week!
We just finished the last book in the Time Jumpers early chapter book series, which sees a brother and sister travel through time with the help of a mysterious briefcase filled with objects that need to be returned to their proper place in history. These books are fantastic for newly independent readers, with simple language, short sentences, lots of illustrations and plenty of action! The “history” element is a bit…questionable. The first book in the series sees our child protagonists travelling back to “medieval Great Britain” to help King Arthur. We all know that there was no “Great Britain” until the Acts of Union in 1707 that joined Scotland and England, and the general consensus among historians is that King Arthur himself is a purely mythological character, and even if there was some element of truth to the stories, the source of that inspiration would likely have predated the medieval period by centuries. There are plenty of actual English kings/queens the protagonists could have visited, but I digress. The books are still fun reads for kids in grades 1-2.
These books are fantastic! If you’re a word nerd like I am, this series, which introduces children to the joys of etymology, is heaps of fun. Two children travel the world solving mysteries with the help of a magic dictionary! Each book in the series (there’s three so far) takes our heroes to a different country and showcases how words from that country’s language and culture made their way into modern English. The first book looks at Indian-origin words, the second takes us to Mexico, and the third to France. These books are definitely written for a higher reading level than Time Jumpers, and we read these to our kiddo, usually a chapter or two before bed. They are action-packed, with some minor scariness, but for sheer linguistic nerdiness, they just can’t be beat! We’ve read all three books in the series, and I really do hope they bring out more volumes- maybe a trip to Germany or ancient Rome to look at how the Anglo-Saxon and Roman conquests of Britain shaped the English language?
Are there any chapter books your young readers are devouring? I’d love any recommendations to add to our list!
Have a great reading week!
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop we host which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. It’s hosted by Unleashing Readers.
The Word Travellers sounds fun!