How to Choose Age-Appropriate Books – Top Tips
Choosing age-appropriate books may not seem like a big deal, but if you don’t choose books that are at the proper reading level for your child, then it may end up discouraging him or her from reading. Also, staying within age-appropriate guidelines helps children on their journey of self-discovery and understanding.
Of course, “age-appropriate” is a loose definition. What’s appropriate for some seven-year-olds is not appropriate for others. Some kids read early; some aren’t even reading when they’re seven years old.
If you have an early reader, your child’s reading level may be that of an older child’s, but the reading material for older kids may still not be appropriate for emotional or other reasons. So as you look at this list of tips on how to choose age-appropriate books, bear in mind that these are generalizations only.
1. Toddlers
The toddler years are times of great exploration and discovery. The world is new, and the basics are exciting. For this young group, great books are those with lots of colorful, simple illustrations, and things that encourage touch – lift-the-flap books, for instance, or pop-up books. Board books are good for this age, as they can stand up to little hands that grab.
Rhymes are also a good thing to read to toddlers – it helps them remember and learn about the rhythm of words. Toddlers tend to find rhymes entertaining, too.
Repetition is another appealing aspect of toddler-age books, as are topics that interest this age – food, animals, playing, and so forth.
2. Preschoolers
With a little longer attention span, books with simple plots and alphabet letters tend to be age-appropriate choices. Rhymes and repetition are good for this age group, too, and so are non-fiction books on a topic of interest. Many preschoolers love books about the habits of a particular animal they are interested in (dinosaurs, dogs, horses, etc.), or books about trucks, cars, and trains. Many preschoolers also appreciate humorous books with jokes in them.
3. Kindergarten and First Grade
Books written for this age can be a lot of fun for grown-ups to read! Kindergarten through first grade (and through second grade for many) are the ages of the picture book. Some wonderful Caldecott books exist for this age, and you can easily read several a week with your five, six, and seven-year-old.
This age still likes lively and/or beautiful illustrations, and they also appreciate humor. Plots can be followed pretty easily, with slightly more complex ones as your child gets toward second grade.
4. Grade School
Second grade is a good age to introduce chapter books (in general). Illustrated books with short chapters tend to have the most appeal for this age group, so look for a combination of chapters, simple plots, and illustrations – humor is often a hit, too. In later grade school, kids can appreciate more subtle humor and amusing puns and word plays.