Find books that are “just right”… neither too easy nor too hard.
“Research indicates that “fluency develops as a result of many opportunities to practice reading with a high degree of success.”
If your child must stop to sound out, or misreads, more that 2-3 words per 100, the book is too hard for independent, joyful reading.
If you do not know the reading level or Lexile level for your child, you can make an educated guess. Find a book that was a good fit for your child, and search for it on one of the sites below. You will find the level of that book, as well as other similar books.
Here are a few online tools that help you determine a book’s reading level:
Scholastic Book Wizard and Accelerated Reader and Lexile
Have PLENTY of books available that are at or below your child’s independent reading level. Include books old and new. Include picture books, graphic novels, short chapter books and longer works. Choose a variety of topics. Make sure to include some favorite books from a series. If your child finds an author or series to love, the battle is half won!
For great booklists, check out websites like The Read Aloud Revival; Imagination Soup and A Charlotte Mason Home
When your child can read or memorize even the simplest book have your child read to you. Ooh and Aah! Celebrate the success. Enjoy the story. IF your child gets stuck on a word, just say the word. This is NOT a reading lesson. This is reading and learning the pleasure of books. The goal is to build a love for reading. Keep reading instruction for another time.