The Best Books for Teaching Your Child How to Read!

Are you working on teaching your child how to read? Maybe you’re trying to get a leg up on kindergarten. Maybe you’re trying to encourage a reluctant reader. Usborne Books & More can help!! We have the best books for teaching your child how to read! Watch my video below for some of my favorite choices! Or, keep reading! Or, do both! Gosh, I’m so nice giving you all of these options. You’re so very welcome.

My First Reading Library

The first that I always recommend for learning how to read is My First Reading Library. It is a collection of 50 books, beginning with the most simplest of texts and sounds and progressing in complexity. For example, in the first book, you and your child read the story together. You read the smaller text, and the larger, more simpler text, is what your child  sounds out! It makes for a fun, collaborative, story time! The stories are followed by fun puzzles to test understanding of the story. These “games” are my daughter’s favorite part. The books will grow your child’s confidence in reading and they’ll be set to move on to chapter books!! The set is $79.99 which means each book costs $1.60. This is an amazing investment; my kids love re-reading all of the stories in this set!

Read With Usborne

I also LOVE our Read with Usborne series. These are leveled readers, so depending on where your child is at in their reading journey, you can find one they’d love!! These are an amazing bang for your buck, with each book only costing $3.99

• Level 1 is for beginning readers; they are very short stories, typically 100-300 words over 20-24 pages. These books contain short, simple sentences using everyday words.
• Level 2 are longer stories, typically 500-700 words with a full book length at 48 pages. These books have longer sentences and slightly more challenging vocabulary.
• Level 3 books may be several stories on a theme, or one longer story in chapters. They typically run 1,000-1,600 words over 48 pages, with slightly longer and more complex sentences, and longer paragraphs.
• Level 4 is for those ready to step into chapter books! They are adapted classics or nonfiction subjects. Typically 2,000-2,500 words over 64 pages.

Phonics Readers

I also love to recommend our phonics books to make reading fun! The rhyming text is great for helping your child predict the ending of the sentences! These are silly stories, with simple rhyming text, and phonic repetition specially designed to develop essential language and early reading skills.  There are even guidance notes for parents included at the back of every book! Most of these are at a 1st grade reading level, to give you an idea!

Even if you aren’t teaching your child to read, I highly recommend these books. They’re goofy and funny and make for great read alouds.

Transitioning into Chapter Books

You know what can be hard for many kids? Letting go of the awesome illustrations in picture books. NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT!! Who says reading can’t also be visually stimulating?? If your child is looking for more “big kid” books, but also wants pictures, these are fantastic. All four of these books are hardback, longer in page length and shaped like a chapter book, but full of captivating illustrations to help bridge that gap between picture books and chapter books:

• The Missing Bookshop
• The Climbers
• Two Sides
• Little Rabbit’s Surprise

Early Chapter Book Options

I LOVE our early chapter books. They make for excellent read alouds and build confident readers.

• Hey Jack and Billie B. Brown are often featured together because they’re best friends in the books!! So, if your kid loves Hey Jack, chances are they’ll also love Billie B. Brown. Both books are geared towards the earliest readers, as well as anybody reading with dyslexia (there are no more than fifty words per page and no hyphenated words). There are some illustrations, but not much, and they are all black and white.
• Billy and the Mini Monsters – We have an amazing series for beginner readers with comic style illustrations and silly humor that’s perfect for easing into chapter books! Each book of the Billy and the Mini Monsters series involves an exciting and funny adventure as he learns to love the little monsters that initially frightened him. He quickly learns there is nothing scary about these monsters, and they become more like pets to him instead!
• Olivia’s Secret Scribbles – If you’re familiar with our popular series Ella’s Diaries, these books feature her younger sister, Olivia, who also enjoys keeping a diary! Full of doodles, and ideas for inventions, your younger set will love this! This is a higher reading level than the above (these are about 3rd grade based on AR level whereas Hey Jack/Billie B/Billy are all around 2nd grade) but the amount of illustrations are VERY enticing and make reading approachable!

Are you looking for a chapter book for an older reader? Maybe you have an AR Level, or grade level, for reading in mind? Let me help you out! Fill the form below, or leave a comment, and I’ll steer you in the right direction.