Celebrate Reading

Choosing a book:

It can be overwhelming to see all the possible choices in a library or bookstore! It is hard to decide what to read. Here are a few ideas that might help.

FIT: You can use the word FIT to help you remember how to choose a book.

F: FIND a book that looks interesting.
I: INVESTIGATE to see whether the book is too hard or too easy
(* see below for one method)
T: TRY the book (or TRADE it for another).

The “five-finger test”: http://www.booknutsreadingclub.com/fivefingertest.html

Descriptions of “Easy”, “Just Right”, and “Too Hard” :
http://www.tooter4kids.com/classroom/how_to_choose_a_book.htm

Children’s Authors:

Many children’s authors have their own websites, with everything from interviews, to coloring pages and other printables, to interactive activities. Here are some sites which can point you toward your favorite authors.

The Index to Internet Sites: Children's and Young Adults' Authors & Illustrators
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/biochildhome.htm

Meet Authors and Illustrators: http://www.childrenslit.com/f_mai.htm

Children’s Authors: http://www.nhusd.k12.ca.us/pioneer/ppc/pages/authors.html

Public Libraries:

Public Libraries offer many services online. You can access the catalog to find
books, place “holds”, and often even renew your books over the internet. PA
public library card holders can also access POWERLibrary databases from home!

Chester County Library: http://www.ccls.org/

Kennett ’s Bayard Taylor Library: http://www.bayardtaylor.org/

(Delaware) Hockessin: http://www.co.new-castle.de.us/library/home/webpage1.asp

Reading to / with a child:

There are many benefits to reading aloud to your child. First, it is fun! You are also
modeling your love of reading and helping to encourage the habit of reading in your
child. Here are some sites which explore the connection between being read to and
academic improvement.

The US government has funded a great deal of research on reading. Here’s part of
a report from July 1999, called “Start Early, Finish Strong: How to help every child
become a strong reader”
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/startearly/ch_1.html

Jim Trelease is a nationally recognized speaker and author on the benefits of reading
aloud to your child. Here is a link to the introductory chapter of his book, The
Read-Aloud Handbook:
http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/rah_intro_p1.html#pagetop

Here is a link to a page from the “Literacy Connections” site containing not only
the rationale for reading aloud, but also some how-to hints:
http://literacyconnections.com/ReadingAloud.php

Downloadable Guide (require PDF reader)
Celebrate Reading

this page last updated: 11-Apr-2008