What does your 1st grader reluctant reader read?

[Anonymous]

We have our 1st grader to do 15 minutes of reading each day. We just finished a set of decodable readers and now I think she’s ready for slightly harder and more interesting books.

We go to the library weekly but she’s more interested in picking out hard books for me to read to her than books to read herself.

What do your 1st graders read if they’re on grade level but not enthusiastic about reading? The Harry Potter readers don’t need to reply—she’s far from picking up a 600 page novel. I’d love some suggestions that work for kids who are at (but not far above) grade level for 1st grade.

[Anonymous]

Kingdom of Wrenly
Dragon Masters
The Lost Firehawk
(basically all the Scholastic branches books)

When they were still a bit hard we'd read together and take turns reading paragraphs, then moved to alternating pages.

[Anonymous]

Harry Potter of course duhh

[Anonymous]

Try Princess in Black or Owl Diaries!

[Anonymous]

Make sure you are balancing the 15 minutes she reads to you with lots of you reading with her. The latter is what will build her fluency and her love of reading.

People here are suggesting books well above a first grade level. You want things like

Pete the Cat
The Pigeon books
Elephant and Piggie
Little Bear
Danny and the Dinosaur

Having things that are a series will give them momentum to carry through.

[Anonymous]

I’m so sorry for your loss

[Anonymous]

Mine liked silly books - think Click Clack Moo but easier. I would check out the early readers style of books (level 1). Usually the library will have a whole section.

Easy leveled nonfiction was also great. For example he was going through a football phase, so he found a football level F reader. I know leveled reading has been debunked, but I still used the letter system for helping select books.

Also… does your daughter get reading homework? If not, I’d recommend getting a couple of easy short books and reading each at least twice during the week. Do this every week with new books. This is the reading homework my 1st grader’s teacher assigns weekly and DS’s reading and spelling have really improved!

[Anonymous]

Mr. Putter and Tabby, but at 1st grade grade they might still be challenging.

[Anonymous]

There are a lot of great choices in the early reader sections. My kid loves anything by Arnold Lobel, Mr Putter and Tabby, Nate the Great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of great choices in the early reader sections. My kid loves anything by Arnold Lobel, Mr Putter and Tabby, Nate the Great.

I still find Frog and Toad hilarious.

[Anonymous]

Fix-It Duck and other Jez Alborough books

Doug Cushman’s easy reader books - Aunt Eater, Inspector Hopper, etc.

The Golly Sisters by Betsy Byars

Nate the Great

Dick and Jane

[Anonymous]

Around first grade one of my kids enjoyed reading board books to me. Things like sheep in a jeep. I also agree with look for books that are silly.

[Anonymous]

My first grader just started showing interest in doing her own reading and not just being read too.

She’s been reading a lot of Mo Williems books. She needs some help, but really loves Pig the Pug books too.

Otherwise she just picks up when we have around (recently this included some of Julia Donaldson’s books, Frog and Toad, and trying to read Jan Brett but needing some help).

[Anonymous]

My daughter liked the Penny books by Kevin Henkes. She also liked Henry and Mudge , the American Girl Welliewishers series, and a lot of the Scholastic Acorn series like Princess Truly.

[Anonymous]

If you just finished up decodable readers then:

1) Dr. Suess (there's harder and easier, go for harder)
2) Ling and Ting (so good)
3) Henry and Mudge, Annie and Snowball - Puppy Mudge if these seem hard
4) Mr. Putter and Tabby
5) High Rise Private Eyes
6) Frog and Toad or any other Arnold Loebel
7) Mo Willems - progress from Elephant and Piggie to Unlimited Squirrels
8) Kevin Henke's Penny books
9) Jonathan Fenske books (so silly!)
10) Minnie and Moo
11) Dodsworth In...books

A lot of these are series for that repeatable, "I know what I am getting" appeal.

After those seem easily manageable, move on to Kingdom of Wrenly, Princess in Black, Owl Diaries, and Magic Treehouse. Then you can look at Clementine or the Lulu and the Duck in the Park books to expand to slightly less illustrated chapter books.