“This is the section, Mom!”
I looked up from my reading to saw a mother and daughter sauntering into the library room. Mom was tall and wore a black skin fitted dress, patterned stocking, and flat shoes that didn’t compliment her look. I guess after a long day at work, she took off her heels to slip into those flats. The young girl, probably eight years old, was in her school uniform.
The girl walked over to the area with books designated for young readers. I watched them curiously from my vantage point, on the big comfy couch, and made notes in my book.
“Pick this one!” The girl said, pulling a book from the shelf.
Mom looked at her, “That one is too easy, Olivia! You have to challenge yourself.”
“This is a level twelve! Mommy, I find a level twelve book!” Oliva exclaimed excitedly.
“That is good. I want you reading hard books, not easy books.”
Olivia took all the books she wanted to read to a table nearby. She had seven of them in total. Mom stooped to check out the books on the lowest shelf.
“Oh, look at this one!” Mom said with excitement. “It has three different stories in here; this is perfect!” She stood up, “Come on; let us go!” Olivia took up her books, and I watched them as they left the room.
On the wall above the bookshelves, there was a sign that reads:
Five Finger Rule!
- 0-1 word =Too Easy
- 2-3 words =Just Right
- 4 words =Okay to Try
- 5+ words =Too Hard
We used the five finger rule as a tool to assist a child in finding the perfect book he or she can read independently. When the child chooses a book to read, have him/her turn to a random page in the book and read it to you. For each word, the child does not know you must hold up a finger. The total number of fingers you hold up will guide you to determine the right book level for your child to read by him or herself.
We mean well as parents, but sometimes we need to let the child choose books he or she wants to read, if appropriate for his or her age. This autonomous responsibility can motivate them to read because it was their book of interest. As parents, we should also encourage our children to read diverse books to challenge themselves; and be there to assist them when they ask for our help.
I hope this information will help your children to find the perfect book for their independent reading adventure.
Ok, I said it!