How do I find books that are
the right fit for my child?
"Good Fit" booksIt’s easy to help your children find books at their instructional reading level! The term “good-fit” books, coined by the authors of The Daily Five, Gail Boushey and Joan Moser, is commonly used with students to reinforce the importance of finding books that are just the right fit for them when reading independently. It is important for children to learn to self-select books that are appropriate for their reading level, because this enables them to responsibly choose their own reading material and ensure that their time on text is truly helping them to develop as readers. The opportunity to guide their own learning is both empowering and highly motivating to children. Teachers, students, and parents can certainly use a leveling system to help determine suitable books for reading practice. But let’s be honest, this isn’t always practical. Your child’s teacher may have a classroom library full of books that are labeled with levels, but libraries and bookstores usually do not. To find the exact level of a book, you would need to use an online resource. A quick, simple, and pretty effective alternative to check the level of a book is to use the Five Finger Rule.
This method is not exact, but it’s a place to start. If your child really has their heart set on reading a book, let them go for it. If it isn’t a good fit, they will realize it sooner or later. Keep in mind that more challenging books can always be a great read aloud or audiobook option! |
Book ResourcesYou may be surprised at how easy it is to find books by level. If this is something you are interested in, the following internet resources and apps are the place to go!
Scholastic Book Wizard OR download the free app! This website and app is arguably the best way to find the level of any book title. Simply type in the name of the book and quickly find various leveling information and a summary. Search by title, author, or keyword and limit your search by grade level equivalent, guided reading level (Fountas & Pinnell), DRA, or Lexile range. There is also a “read alike” feature that offers suggestions for titles similar to the selected book! Leveled Book List This is a wonderful website that provides an extensive list of popular books sorted by either grade level, title, or author. Each books is labeled with the Fountas and Pinnell guided reading level and grade level. Park Ridge Public Library Your local library is also a wonderful resource for finding books and provides Lexile range, Fountas and Pinnell guided reading level, and a summary for each book. Place a hold on the book you want online, and pick it up at your convenience! Interested in beefing up your personal library? Children enjoy building a collection of books to call their own, especially if they are self-selected favorites. Here are some affordable options for purchasing books: · Discount Bookstores: Retailers such as Half-Price Books have a broad selection of high-quality titles at a very low cost. Some of the books are gently used, but many are actually brand new! · Public Library Sales: Most public libraries hold book sales each season and offer a wide range of books for as little as $1 per book! · Discount “Book Clubs”: Organizations such as Scholastic offer a nice selection of titles that are relatively affordable and conveniently organized by grade level. |