Finding a Good Fit Book

Did you ever wonder what books your child should be reading?

Has your child ever chosen a library book that you thought was TOO HARD?

Today, I’m sharing a QUICK and SIMPLE method of checking to see if a book is too hard, too easy, or JUST RIGHT!

It’s called the 5 Finger Rule for Just Right /Good Fit Books.

WHY does it matter?

When I was a full time teacher, I noticed two extremes in my students. Sometimes, it was the case that a child did not like any bit of challenge so he would check out the SAME EASY BOOKS each time my class went to the library. While the books might have had entertaining pictures, they were at a much easier level than what the child COULD read.

The other extreme was when a very low level reader would come back from library time with a TOME! Maybe it was something like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which is several inches thick (obviously far too difficult for the child to read).

In one case, the student didn’t want to leave his comfort zone. In the latter case, the student felt IMPORTANT when carrying around a large book—even if he couldn’t make it past one page.

Which one of these extremes sounds like your child? (Leave a comment!)

When I have had struggling readers come to me for tutoring, I usually notice that whatever current reading book they have from school is MUCH TOO DIFFICULT. It is so difficult, in fact, that not much learning is taking place—and not much motivation for that matter. The craziest part is that often the parent ISN’T AWARE that the book is too difficult for the child. Both are suffering through it.

So what can you try at home with your child to see if he is reading at a level that encourages growth without being too difficult?

For one thing, you’re not going to always recognize a book is too difficult for your child if you never LISTEN TO YOUR CHILD READ aloud while looking at the page he is reading. In the cases of my tutoring students, the parents fully believed the children were reading the material just fine. I recognized the errors as the children would read aloud to me and miss FAR TOO MANY WORDS on a single page. It was painful to sit through, and I know it made comprehension difficult for the child.

Parents, if your child is already a struggling reader, don’t take the child’s word that he is reading a particular book just fine. Listen to him read some of the book to check in and be sure.

THE QUICK AND SIMPLE METHOD: 5 FINGER RULE FOR FINDING A JUST RIGHT (GOOD FIT) BOOK

You will find variations of this idea online in places such as YouTube, Pinterest, and TeachersPayTeachers. When choosing a book, the child opens to ANY PAGE and starts to read it aloud. He is to hold up one finger each time he comes to a word he doesn’t know or struggles to sound out. This is an honor system if the child performs the check alone. Not to mention, many children don’t even know that they DON’T know a word. They will substitute another word and not even notice. Choose a book that you have at your house and try the method on your child. Here is the key:

0-1 fingers……………a little too easy

2-3 fingers…………..JUST RIGHT!

4 fingers………………….Maybe. Give it a try.

5+ fingers……………..Too difficult (for now)

Having only 2 or 3 words per page that are challenging is actually a good thing. Your child gets practice sounding out the words or learns new vocabulary without being overwhelmed with too many.

Remind your child that if it is too difficult, that it’s only JUST FOR NOW. You can put it on a shelf for later or read the book aloud to your child. It is still a learning opportunity, and your child won’t have to be reading something that is on his FRUSTRATION LEVEL.

My personal experience with my own children

I homeschool my three children, and I’ve not yet had to do the 5 finger rule. That is mostly because my children read to me every single day. I generally know which words they will know and which ones they won’t. When my children are beginning readers, I select books for them each time we go to the library. (They’re usually distracted by the story time room).

For busy parents who have jobs outside the home:

I know that it can be challenging to find time to sit down with your child, but a 5 finger check does not take that long. The key to seeing your child grow in the books he reads is to READ GOOD FIT BOOKS OVER AND OVER. You will be amazed at how much more your child enjoys reading and how much sooner your child will be able to move up to more difficult books. In time, you’ll be able to gauge if a book is a good fit for your child by looking at it yourself. In the meantime, teaching your child this method and that it matters can help him choose books when you aren’t around.

Remember, YOU are your child’s MOST influential teacher.