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Parents - 1st To 3rd
Grade
Before starting, I want to mention the
E.D.Hirsch books. What Your Child Should Know in the __ Grade.
E.D.Hirsch is the eminent American Cultural Historian. I first bought
these books for my children so that they could be sure that my
grandchildren were getting a proper curriculum in school. By the 3rd
grade, my granddaughter was reading them herself. They are great!
Now on with the subject of individual reading.
Please treat the grade level designations loosely.
They are only points of reference. Which reminds me. All those reading
level designations on books are usually incorrect.
I recommend the following procedure:
- Let
your child give the selected book a try. You will be able to tell
within 5 words whether or not the child is comfortable with the book.
It is important that independent reading be pleasant to do.
- If
the book seems too difficult, just say – we’ll try that book again
in a few months. Remember, your child is constantly expanding his/her
vocabulary on a daily basis. So his/her
reading level is constantly improving.
- In
the early years, there is a huge difference between read-to books and
read-by-myself books. Since I am a big believer in do-it-yourself,
always encourage your child to read independently. Reading aloud is
great. As the child progresses to the 3rd grade level, be
sure to let him/her read to you as well.
- There
are hundreds of wonderful children’s books. These recommendations
are only a starting point for you.
For starting readers,
my favorite recommendation is: The Cat is Back at Bat. I also
recommend:
Mice Twice by Joseph Low.
Wynken Blynken and Nod
by Eugene Field
I See the
Moon and the Moon Sees Me by Jonathan London
Poems of Childhood by Joan Anglund
In general, poetry is marvelous for early readers.
Not blank verse, but real rhyming poetry. It has rhythm and the rhyming
enables the early reader to
pick up lots of new words..
Detective stories are wonderful because the
reader's mind has to work with the writer's mind. There are
detectives for every reading level. The following are some recommendations
that we have found to be of excellent quality and popular with the
readers:
First Grade:
Nate the Great detective series.
Then there's Henry & Mudge; Poppleton; Amelia Bedelia. Ruth
Heller has created an excellent series on the parts of speech: Up Up
and Away (adverbs); Many Luscious Lollipops (adjectives); Merry-Go-Round
(nouns); Kites Sail High (verbs); Behind the Mask (prepositions);
Cache of Jewels (group nouns). She is constantly adding to the
list. They are a beautiful introduction to grammar, letting gorgeous
pictures tell the story.
Second Grade:
Cam Jansen; Zack Files; A to Z
Mysteries. All these series are lengthy and good fun. The Amber
Brown series is excellent, but anything by Paula Danziger is
excellent. She has a great sense of humor. Yes! Goosebumps are
great 2nd grade reading. The scariest thing about them is the covers. Lots
of creaky floors and squeaky doors.
Third Grade:
Here, the list expands enormously
in all categories. For detective stories, we recommend the Usborne puzzle
adventure series. These are detective stories in which the reader helps to
solve the mystery. Roald Dahl's books are marvelously hilarious.
Among others he wrote Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; Matilda; James
and the Giant Peach; Henry Sugar; and much more. They are for 9 and up
and up.
If you enjoy reading to the children at these ages,
we recommend Shel Silverstein, Aesop's Fables, and Just So
Stories, among
others.
That's all for now. Yes! We stock all the books we recommend. Please don't hesitate to e-mail requests or
inquiries about other books. We ship everywhere.
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