What are your first graders reading? - Page 2

[Daffodil]

Originally Posted by Neera 

I have to go the library to check the levels. In the mean time does anyone know for what grade is this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Pinkalicious-School-Rules-Read-Book/dp/0061928852/ref=sr_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1349958944&sr=1-13&keywords=pinkalicious

According to the Book Wizard site, it has a grade level equivalent of 1.9, so end of first grade.

[Neera]

Originally Posted by Daffodil 

According to the Book Wizard site, it has a grade level equivalent of 1.9, so end of first grade.

Thanks.

[revolting]

We get a LOT of books from the library at a variety of different levels. If it's too hard, my kid won't read it. She likes reading picture books to her little brother, and she likes reading the Little House on the Prairie series, Magic Tree House, and Junie B Jones on her own.

[Neera]

Yeah, if it's hard she won't read it either. Just Grace series have concepts that she might not yet understand. She enjoys Pinkalicious books like the one I mentioned above. I guess some first graders here are reading above their levels. The Magic Puppies seem like something she'll like. I've ordered one and we'll see how she likes it.

[LuckyMommaToo]

I agree with a PP. I'll go to the library and literally get 25 books for DD. Picture books, easy readers, chapter books, and we just see what strikes her fancy. I don't worry too much about levels. She still LOVES some books that are way easy for her, but that's fine. My ultimate goal is to pass on my love of reading, so pretty much anything she loves to read is good by me.

-e

[kayleesmom]

Wow I haven't heard of any of these series n my daughter just started 2nd grade but reading more at end of 1st grade level

[Juliacat]

She reads The Cat in the Hat, Max and Ruby, Curious George, books like that fluently. She doesn't do so well with more advanced reading material, although she likes having it read to her; we just listened to the first Harry Potter book on a road trip and she stayed engaged with it the whole time.
 

[Neera]

Update

Bink and Gollie was a big hit with her. Thanks again.

[sunanthem]

My dd was in first last year, and loved the BABY MOUSE series. It's like a comic for girls. So fun.

[Neera]

Originally Posted by sunanthem 

My dd was in first last year, and loved the BABY MOUSE series. It's like a comic for girls. So fun.

I was trying to look for it but wasn't able to at first as Babymouse is one word not two. Thanks.

[JudiAU]

Originally Posted by BellinghamCrunchie 

Oh I see. Well, anyway, the library might have a useful system if she wants to follow some kind of progression that generally goes in the right direction at the right pace and that probably meshes pretty well with the school district. It was just an idea. I was in her place a year ago, bewildered by the different measurements and systems... it was nice when her teacher pointed out to me how it worked and how I could just use the library because things were so nicely numbered and made sense. Before that I was frustrated by how "Level A reader" on one book could be so very different from "blue reader" on another and "Level One Reader" on yet another and so forth.

Most librarians will be familiar with the reading systems in play at local schools so if you tell them the system and level they'll be able to help you find leveled readers for her. And don't leave picture books behind. They are generally much more sophisticated and have plain better storytelling and art. Don't encourage her to think that her choices are limited to leveled readers or chapter books.

[SweetSilver]

Surprised no one has mentioned Henry and Mudge!  Possibly just a bit too advanced, but it depends on whether your dd likes being able to read every single word.  The series is hilarious and sweet and entirely entertaining.  I think the books are marked with a reader level 3.

For beginning readers, there is the Puppy Mudge series.  I've only read a couple of those, but they are simple and fabulously, supremely wonderful for kids and parents alike.  

[Neera]

Originally Posted by SweetSilver 

Surprised no one has mentioned Henry and Mudge!  Possibly just a bit too advanced, but it depends on whether your dd likes being able to read every single word.  The series is hilarious and sweet and entirely entertaining.  I think the books are marked with a reader level 3.

For beginning readers, there is the Puppy Mudge series.  I've only read a couple of those, but they are simple and fabulously, supremely wonderful for kids and parents alike.  

We just happened to pick up one from the library. She didn't love it but it was actually more her age. Some of the books mentioned are too advanced for her as maybe the first graders are advanced readers. Will look for more in the series. Thks.

[Smalls181]

My daughter is in 1st and is really just now starting to LIKE to read. She loves being read to, and will listen to just about any story. We have read many of the RMF books as well and she absolutely loves them.  She likes to read Piggie And Elephant books (and anything else by Mo Willems) and Fly Guy.   We have read or listened to all of the Ramona Quimby and Henry Huggins books.

[nyssaneala]

My daughter is still in pre-school, but is around this level in her reading. She loves the Magic Treehouse books (we take turns reading every other page, this is still a bit hard for her to read on her own.)

Another book series that hasn't been mentioned that DD loves are the Bad Kitty books by Nick Bruel. Also Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst and The World According to Humphrey.

Those are all books at the very top of her reading level.

Books she loves that she can read comfortably (no idea what reading level they are) that I didn't see mentioned:

- Minnie and Moo books

- Dr. Seuss books

- Kevin Henkes books (Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Chrysanthemum)

- Frog and Toad books (this is what she is reading to her teacher right now during their one-on-one time)

- Amelia Bedelia

- Madeline

- lots of Scholastic non-fiction Easy Readers

[Neera]

Originally Posted by nyssaneala 

My daughter is still in pre-school, but is around this level in her reading. She loves the Magic Treehouse books (we take turns reading every other page, this is still a bit hard for her to read on her own.)

Another book series that hasn't been mentioned that DD loves are the Bad Kitty books by Nick Bruel. Also Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst and The World According to Humphrey.

Those are all books at the very top of her reading level.

Books she loves that she can read comfortably (no idea what reading level they are) that I didn't see mentioned:

- Minnie and Moo books

- Dr. Seuss books

- Kevin Henkes books (Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Chrysanthemum)

- Frog and Toad books (this is what she is reading to her teacher right now during their one-on-one time)

- Amelia Bedelia

- Madeline

- lots of Scholastic non-fiction Easy Readers

Maybe they weren't mentioned because they might be too easy for 1st graders?? Also, a lot of these first graders are advanced for their age.

[nyssaneala]

Originally Posted by Neera 

Maybe they weren't mentioned because they might be too easy for 1st graders?? Also, a lot of these first graders are advanced for their age.

Hi Neera, nice to 'meet' you on a different thread. 

I was just trying to throw out suggestions that others didn't mention. I just did a quick search, and Lulu and the Brontosaurus looks like it is on a 3rd grade reading level. This is currently my DD's favorite book. 

I really believe that for kids who are reading above their grade level (and my DD started reading chapter books when she was 4, she just turned 5 two weeks ago), that the focus of reading shouldn't always be on 'what's at their level'. I let my daughter pick out whatever she wants at the library, and she enjoys reading the very simple Mo Willems' Gerald and Piggie books, and Kevin Henkes books (she loves mice, and all of his books feature mice characters) just as much as the more challenging Magic Treehouse books. And she still loves picture books, I had tried to suggest some that were at a slightly higher level. The Minnie and Moo books are an AR level of 2.2, I always took that to mean the beginning of second grade? I could be wrong, though, since DD's Montessori school does not follow AR (Accelerated Reader), and I don't know a lot about it. And Dr. Suess books vary wildly in reading level, from the simple Am I Your Mother?, to the more challenging Horton Hears a Who.

The Scholastic non-fiction easy readers also have a wide variety of levels. For example, she has a 'Level 2' book about Skeletons. Here is an excerpt: "Your skeleton has 33 vertebrae. The lower ones form the sacrum and the tailbone." 

Of course, it's about more than just learning new words. The reason DD's teacher currently has her reading Frog and Toad books (AR 2.6) instead of something more challenging, is to help her work on pacing and comprehension. DD reads almost as fast as I do (which is a bit of a weird feeling!), to the point that the words blend together. Now it's great that she can read quickly, but not so great that it is hard to understand what she is saying because she is going too fast. So they work on that, and comprehension.

We read a TON of books, if you gave an idea of what your child is currently reading (sorry if I missed it in a previous post), I could probably throw out a few more ideas that are at a higher level.

[Neera]

Originally Posted by nyssaneala 

Hi Neera, nice to 'meet' you on a different thread. 

I really believe that for kids who are reading above their grade level (and my DD started reading chapter books when she was 4, she just turned 5 two weeks ago), that the focus of reading shouldn't always be on 'what's at their level'. I let my daughter pick out whatever she wants at the library, and she enjoys reading the very simple Mo Willems' Gerald and Piggie books, and Kevin Henkes books (she loves mice, and all of his books feature mice characters) just as much as the more challenging Magic Treehouse books. And she still loves picture books, I had tried to suggest some that were at a slightly higher level. The Minnie and Moo books are an AR level of 2.2, I always took that to mean the beginning of second grade? I could be wrong, though, since DD's Montessori school does not follow AR (Accelerated Reader), and I don't know a lot about it. And Dr. Suess books vary wildly in reading level, from the simple Am I Your Mother?, to the more challenging Horton Hears a Who.

Thanks, I feel the same I don't want her to read bigger words because she can but I want her to enjoy the books as well. She can read many of the books mentioned here (we haven't tried them all) but she didn't enjoy them all. She has to enjoy the stories, understand the concepts that kind of thing. I'll try your recommended books. Thanks.

[nyssaneala]

Another suggestion I would have are the Barefoot Books. These used to be stories we read aloud, now DD loves reading the fairy tales on her own. Some of her favorites are The Barefoot Book of Princesses, the Barefoot Book of Dance Stories, and the Barefoot book of Pirates.