Can’t Find a Kinder Reader for Your Kindergartener? 5 Tips for Making Your Own.
by Mary Follin
If you have introduced reading concepts to your kindergartner, you may be having difficulty finding a kinder reader for him or her to enjoy. An age old problem, most easy readers are for children who have a higher degree of mastery over reading. That said, there are a few series that can address the needs of your brand new reader, including the Bob Books, Dr. Seuss, and some of the ‘I Can Read’ books.
We have also included a kinder reader series in Teach Your Child to Read™. The books included in our program are designed around the skill level of a child who has gone through the program, so you can be certain your child will be able to read and enjoy them.
That said, you may want to branch out and create your own kinder reader collection. It’s easy—and fun! All you need to create your own kinder reader is paper, markers/crayons, a hole punch, colorful yarn, and your imagination.
Here’s the easy, step-by-step process for making your own kinder reader:
- Write a SUPER SHORT story using words your child can sound out—10 sentences is a good length.
- Take 8.5 x 11″ paper and fold in half, enough sheets to create pages for each sentence. (5 sheets = 1 sentence per page if your story is 10 sentences. If you want a cover page, you’ll need 6 sheets. Not necessary, though.)
- Stack the paper and punch 2 holes on the fold. Thread yarn through and tie. This is your binding.
- Write one sentence per page, carefully printing letters the way your child is used to seeing them. (Alternatively, you can print the pages with your printer before folding.)
- Let your child draw pictures on each page.
Let your child illustrate your kinder reader!
Interested in teaching your child to read at home?
Try Teach Your Child to Read™ for free!
5 Tips for Making a Kinder Reader Your Child Will Love
1) Keep your kinder reader simple. Children love small, everyday details: A backyard bunny nibbling on lettuce, a big brother cooking dinner, two friends riding on a school bus. Give them something happy to read about!
2) Use words you’re confident your child will be able to sound out. After completing our program, your child will be able to sound out literally thousands of words, so you’ll have plenty of leeway for making up a good story. Be sure to include words in your kinder reader that are specific to your child and all the things you like to do as a family.
Your kinder reader is limited only by your imagination!
3) If your child asks about the period at the end of each sentence, tell him that each sentence is a ‘little story,’ and the period tells you when each ‘little story’ is over. If you want to include an exclamation point or two, ask your child to ‘shout’ when she sees one.
4) Some words simply can’t be sounded out, words like ‘a’ and ‘the.’ These words are necessary to tell almost any story, so before your child begins reading, point these words out and help her recognize them by sight.
5) If your child has difficulty reading the books, draw each of the words on a flashcard. Lay the cards on the floor and ask your child to read the ‘floor’ sentence before reading the one in the book.
The most important thing to remember is to have fun with it! No need to create a masterpiece or a legacy to pass down to your children’s children, the time you are spending with your child is what matters. Making a kinder reader can be a simple, fun, rainy day activity for you and your child to share. Enjoy making your own kinder reader!
Interested in teaching your child to read at home?
Try Teach Your Child to Read™ for free!