Emergent Reader Book Choices

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.

signs are reading and recognizing words within text.

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?

No Two Persons ...

No two persons ever read the same book. 

~Edmund Wilson 

I recently saw this quote on Twitter and had to retweet because it’s so true.  Readers bring a bit of themselves to each book and take in the story or information in a different way too.  Many non-fiction books capitalize on this truth by offering levels of reading within a book.  Since we read a non-fiction books on a variety of topics at my house I’ve seen many book that offer in-depth captions next to short large font paragraphs or sidebars offering more details.  Many young ‘readers’ experience books without the words.  At our house we’ve been encouraging 3 yr old Lil Guy to tell us the story using the pictures as a guide.  It’s an important step in becoming an independent reader. 

 

One book that epitomizes levels of reading within a book is An Edible Alphabet, 26 Reasons to Love the Farm by Carol Watterson.  This picture book illustrated by  Michela Sorrentino is a traditional alphabet book offering many levels of text within the page.  Readers at the letter recognition stage will easily find the bright letters, but older readers can find alliteration, information, and even folktales and trivia.  All of this pushed into one books is a bit much but we still enjoyed the book.  For the quick before bed read, we only looked at pictures and read the header phrase, “Uu - Udders Under Umbrellas”.  Yes, this illustration did show a farmer and cow walking in the rain.   For a longer on the lap cuddly read, I added in a few details, “Wild Salmon live in both fresh and saltwater.”  I don’t think I would read the book from beginning to end, but farm enthusiast might do so.  Recommended for preschoolers to grade 4, non-fiction readers, and readers who love the farm.

Cow Loves Cookies

The Cow Loves Cookies is a sweet picture book from author Karma Wilson.  Karma Wilson is already a favorite at our house.  Her Bear Snores On series is in high rotation at our house and is one of the books that Lil Guy has decided sounds best when read by his father.  This is all the better for me as listening to someone else read the story is relaxing and fun.  I wasn’t sure what to think about Wilson’s new book, but I was pleasantly surprised by the cute story about a farmer and his cow who loves cookies. 

The story is set on a farm with all of the usual cast of barnyard characters.  Each animal is introduced by tell what farmer feeds the animal.  The list of animals and feed are reviewed as you meet each new friend.  The rhyme is refined with such a natural cadence to the words, it’s clear that Wilson has a gift with language.  It’s a joy to read books like this. 

Lil Guy enjoys this book and laughs at the funny parts too.  The book is playful, yet calming, which is perfect to hold the interest of a rambunctious toddler boy and also keep him peaceful before bed.  I would have easily read 50 more pages in a style of writing like this.  Karma Wilson has really impressed me with this book and her Bear Snores On Series, it makes me want to read more from her soon.  Recommended for Toddlers, Preschoolers, K-2, read-alouds and for independent reading in 1^st and 2^nd grade.

Halloween and Spooky Reads

It’s October and before you know it, Halloween will be here.  We’ve been reading Halloween and spooky reads the last few weeks and here are a few I have to share with you today:

Creepy Carrots  by Aaron Reynolds and Peter Brown (Illustrator) is a spooky book for young readers.  The story isn’t just for Halloween and features Jasper a carrot loving bunny.  The book is styled like a graphic novel with sometimes multiple panels on a page.  Many people have been featuring this book lately, I read one review from School Library Journal that mentioned the coloring in the book is mostly black and white with tons of shadows and interesting ‘film angles’.  Add in the little touches of orange focusing your eye throughout the book and you have a nod to Film Noir.  Maybe young readers won’t recognize the homage, but teachers and parents might appreciate the details.  Overall, the book was loved by my 3 yr old Lil Guy.  We’ve been rereading it and going back through to find details in the illustrations.  Highly Recommended to Preschool to Grade 3 who are look for a scary but not too scary book for read alouds, 2-3 grade independent readers, and Halloween readers who like film noir.

Pumpkin Heads by Wendell Minor is a picture book for the youngest of readers.  Each 2 page spread features a beautiful depiction of fall or Halloween with simple text.  This book would be great for a read aloud or for young independent readers.  It’s great to see a children’s book that treats children respectfully, offering a sophisticated view of Autumn.  The sparse text begs for readers to slow down and note the details.  Recommended for readers who want to connect to the natural part of fall.

The Hallo-wiener by Dav Pilkey is a fun picture book with Pilkey’s trademark sense of humor.  The story features Oscar a wiener dog who is miserable and getting picked on at school.  When Halloween comes around, Oscar has the worst possible costume, a hot dog.  Little Oscar becomes a hero when the tables are turned on his bullies.  The book’s illustrations are extremely appealing to K-3 readers.  The overall story is funny and predictable, but it lacks a bit of restraint with the name calling and pranks.  Recommended for a fun and light read before Halloween.

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