Home

Catalog

Freebies

How to Homeschool

Homeschool Directory

Contact Us

What's New

Site Map

Choosing Literature

6 Tips for Choosing Literature for Your Child

How do you go about choosing literature for your child? With so many books available, it is possible to find books that your students will enjoy. Not only does that make the learning process more enjoyable, but also more effective.

Note the Gender

Here is a general rule of thumb for choosing literature that most people know but don't always want to admit:

Male students usually prefer stories with men or boys as the main character; female students prefer main characters who are girls or women.

Are there exceptions to this rule? Yes, there are many and we could all think of numerous exceptions. However, as much as those who strive for a gender neutral society might not like to admit; more often than not that general rule of thumb is true.

So a simple starting point in your search is to look for classical literature whose main character is the same gender as your student.

Publication Date

And speaking of classic literature, just what is the big deal with classic literature anyway?

Well, one might well ask what is the definition of classic literature. Let's make it simple. We can define classic literature as any book that remains in print for more than fifty years (a simple definition indeed!) This would indicate that such books are so valuable that they continue to be in demand.

Popular literature, in contrast, comes and goes with the trends. Now, of course, there may be a popular book that gets printed this month that will become a classic with time. There's no rule that one needs to read only the older books. However, while searching for the best, it is a great place to start.

Literary Elements

Besides standing the test of time and demand for reprinting, classical literature offers other benefits. These include qualities such as moral dilemmas, character development, and the use of literary elements.

Yikes! Is this starting to bring back nightmares of high school English?

Relax. When students read books they enjoy, then studying those elements of literature becomes a pleasure.

We've got a little bit of circular reasoning going on here:

Literary elements make a great book
Kids like great books
Great books makes learning the literary elements enjoyable.

Trust me, it works. But once again, you have to find those books that connect with your kids.

Check It Out

One of the most outstanding resources for classic literature is the www.Classical-Childrens-Books.com site. Okay, that's really an unsubstantiated claim because it is a sister-site. But I guarantee you'll find classics your kids will want to read.

Of course another source of great picks is your local library (they have recommended reading lists by grade.)

Of course there are other literature-based websites as well as book stores that are fun to browse.

Interest Level

Popular books printed today often have an interest level and reading level assigned to them. They try to keep the two together.

This is not the case with classic literature. It appeals to a much wider age range. Young children enjoy having them read to them. Older students will read them for pleasure.

Struggling Readers

One strategy for struggling reader's is to read an easy version which is edited at a lower reading level. If the student enjoys that book, have them read the original unabridged version. Their comprehension will be aided by the fact they have already read and enjoyed the story.