Just Right Books
The I Can Read! books are widely recognized as the premier line for beginning readers. With more than 200 titles including mysteries, adventure stories, poetry, historical fiction, and humor, children can always find a just right book!
Choosing a just right book is like the Three Little Bears story—just right for one child isn’t just right for another. Books may be too hard, too easy, or just right!
How do you know if it’s just right?
Just right books:
- provide a challenge that is achievable
- provide new learning opportunities
- teach new strategies and skills
- give just the right amount of challenge and support
Too hard books:
- don’t allow children to grasp the meaning of the text
- make the reading experience laborious
- force children to read word-by-word instead of more naturally in phrases
- may create frustration for your child
Simple books:
- help children feel in control
- are relaxing and enjoyable
- help children practice fluency
Take the guesswork out of choosing books.
We do the work for you. I Can Read! books are color-coded so you don’t have to guess which is just right. We group our most beloved and enjoyable books together. When your child outgrows one level, you can use our coding system to move on to the next level.
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My First Level
The first step to helping children become great readers is reading aloud to them.
Books at this level, like Biscuit are short compelling stories, written with simple vocabulary. Repeated phrases allow preschoolers to read some words along with their parent. Many of the words are sight words children recognize. Active, engaging stories like Go Away, Dog have appealing plots and loveable characters just for early readers.
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Level 1
This level is just right for readers who are beginning to sound out words and sentences. Books on this level, like Danny and the Dinosaur, are written with simple sentences using familiar words. Children can relate to the themes about home, school, and friendship. The vocabulary is just challenging enough to stay interesting. Children looking for favorite characters at this level will find the Berenstain Bears and Pickles, the fire cat, and more.
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Level 3
Level 3 includes many fun subjects kids love to read about on their own. Historical fiction like The Drinking Gourd and Buffalo Bill and the Pony Express are introduced at this level as well as science titles such as Dolphin. Level 3 books are written for independent readers. They include challenging words and more complex themes and stories.
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Just right books are judged by:
- sentence / book length
- vocabulary and language structure
- text layout and picture support
- text type and subject matter
- word analysis—for example, are the words easy to sound out? Is their meaning clear? Are they familiar, part of a child’s everyday vocabulary?
Finding just right books for your child fosters independence, confidence, and a life-long love of books.
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