Emergent readers are in that magic stage in reading
development when all of the experiences with books, all of the practice singing
the alphabet, all of the exposure to words, and the introduction of phonics
skill finally come together. Emergent
readers are early readers with basic print knowledge, some site words, and some
phonics skills. Most children are
entering into the emergent reader stage in Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and
First Grade. I remember reading my early
phonics readers. Typically emergent
reader books will be very decodable.
That means the words might be from a select word family or may follow an
easy rhyme pattern. In addition,
emergent reader books will have very close print and illustration connections. Readers
will be able to tell the stories via both simple text and pictures. 
All this to say: my Lil Guy is solidly in the emergent
reader stage. Some of the
This is more than just remembering a story or a few words to a
story. Cold reading an emergent reader
text is a sign. Being able to chunk
words or use phonics skills to sound out longer unknown words is also a
sign. Remember that emergent readers are
not independent readers by any means is important. These readers will still need plenty of
support. My Lil Guy needs reminders to
read every word on a page and is still learning some letter combinations: sh,
th, ng, etc.
Choosing appropriate books for emergent readers is
crucial. Great emergent reader book
engage readers. The text needs to be
accessible for the reader, but can still require a bit of support. Also the illustrations need to engage the
reader and give picture clues for the readers.
Many emergent reader books will have reading levels listed. Even early emergent readers will enjoy these
books because of the predictable text patterns and easy to follow picture
clues.
Here are some emergent reader series:
I Can Read Series from Harper Collins Publishers. These books are very popular and
inexpensive. The stories often have
recurring characters and also include non-fiction books. This
particular series also features popular storybook characters such as Pete the
Cat and Pinkalicious. Look for “My First”
and Level 1 books in this series for emergent readers.
Step Into Reading from Random House Publishers. Again, these books are very popular and are
found on the shelves at Wal-Mart and Target.
Some of the popular series in these books are Sesame Street, Disney
Characters, and Barbie. While those
characters might not thrill parents there are other very engaging emergent
reader books. Lil Guy’s first book he
read by himself was Hot Dog. It’s still
one of his favorites to read during storytime!
Look for Level 1 books in this series for emergent readers.
Ready to Read from Simon & Schuster Publishers. These books showcase some of the same movie
and cartoon characters, but also offer children’s favorite authors within the
Emergent Reader books. Eric Carle and Cynthia
Rylant have books from Ready to Read.
Olivia is also featured as a series for emergent readers. Look for Pre-Level 1 and Level 1 books.
One of our favorite book series lately has been I Like to
Read by Holiday House Publishers. These
books we have borrowed from the library in hardback. They tell simple but interesting
stories. I’ve seen some comments that
the stories don’t feel complete, but my Lil Guy’s imagination fills in the
details as he reads. All of the I Like
to Read series books fall solidly into the Emergent Reader level. Here
are a few of our favorites in the series.
So, What are YOUR favorite Emergent Reader books? What activities do you do with YOUR Emergent Readers at home or at school? Do you have suggestions for Lil Guy and me?
