Teaching Children to Choose Just-right Books

Another blog on modeling the choosing of books is here.

This is a lesson that you should visit again and again throughout the school year. As the year progresses your instruction on the topic of "just-right" books will become more complex, and your students’ understanding of what a just-right book is will gain depth.

However, to start the year off, students need to have a basic definition of what a just-right book is and some simple steps to take in order to select a just-right book. I tell my students that “A just-right book is a book in which you are interested in and that you can read all or most words. For a book to be just-right, you should also be able to read it aloud smoothly and, most importantly, you should understand what is happening.” You should also share with students why this is important: “If we select books that are too easy or too hard, it won’t help us become better readers. We always have to look for books that are just right. These are the books that help us grow and become stronger readers and writers.” It’s amazing how quickly children will begin to pick up this language and use it with each other, but only if it’s reiterated by you again and again.

When I share this information I also place an chart up in our classroom that reads:

Choosing a Just-right Book:

I will select a book that looks interesting to me. Then I will read the first two pages and ask myself:

1. Can I read all or most of the words?
2. Do I sound smooth while reading?
3. Do I understand what I am reading?

The book is just right-book if I answered yes to all three questions!

Here’s some quick reasoning behind those 3 self-monitoring statements:

I Can Read All or Most of the Words (Accuracy) 

If students are to comprehend any given text they should be reading approximately 94% of the words correctly. The more words a student can read in a text the more apt they are to comprehend the text (though we must also caution against simply presuming that because they are accurate they are also comprehending). 

I Sound Smooth While Reading (Fluency) 

Fluency can be used to indicate how well students will comprehend a text. Research has also indicated that fluency can improve a student's attitude toward reading. When students are reading word-by-word and their fluency is choppy, they tend to view reading as an arduous task and could become more reluctant readers. So we want to ensure they have self-monitoring skills to select books in which they are fluent. 

I Understand What I am Reading (Comprehension) 

I emphasize to students that this is the most important part of choosing a book. I explain that understanding what you read in a book is called comprehension, and that throughout the year we will learn about different strategies for comprehending books, which ties into the Making Meaning® curriculum. 

William Goldsmith has been working for Orange County Public Schools for the last 10 years and has been teaching in OCPS for the last five years. He has taught 5th and 4th grade and is currently teaching 2nd grade at Apopka Elementary. At Apopka William is the facilitator for the Reading Council, which works towards enhancing uniform comprehension strategies across all grade levels (K–5). He also works closely with English Language Learners in numerous capacities, to help them make gains in their academic skills. William has used Making Meaning for the last 4 years as key component in his literacy block. In the last 2 years he has also begun using Being a Writer.

When William isn’t working late at school, he enjoys playing tennis, snapping photos, reading (of course), and spending time with his friends and family.