The best books for emergent readers are short, decodable books: stories where every word can be sounded out using the letter sounds your child already knows, with very few sight words and no pictures to guess from. Books like these let a brand-new reader practice real reading skills and finish a whole story feeling successful.
When your child first shows an interest in reading on their own, the choices can feel overwhelming. Here is what I look for after more than 35 years of teaching children to read.
What is an emergent reader?
An emergent reader is a child who has just learned their letter sounds and is starting to blend those sounds together to read simple words, like c-a-t or p-i-g. Most children reach this stage somewhere between preschool and first grade, but every child is different. What they need now is lots of practice reading words that actually follow the rules they have just learned.
What to look for in books for emergent readers
1. Choose decodable books with very few sight words
Emergent readers are not quite ready for books with a lot of sight words in them. Unfortunately, many "beginning" level books are full of them.
Often, emergent readers have only just finished learning all of their letter sounds. They need to practice blending those sounds to make words, and then reading those words in sentences. The last thing they need is a lot of strange sight words that don't follow the "sound out" rules. Words like "was," which they would expect to be spelled "wuz"…so confusing! Sight words = frustration!
That's why decodable books are the best books for emergent readers. A decodable book (sometimes called a phonetic reader or phonics reader) is written so that the letters say what they are supposed to say. Your child can read every word by sounding it out, so they build real skills and confidence instead of memorizing and guessing. It's the same systematic phonics approach behind the "science of reading."
(A scene from "Max the Pig," one of the stories in the Miss Wendy's Favorite Phonetic Books kit. Picture used with permission.)
If your child knows their letter sounds (short vowels and hard consonants) and the three sight words "a," "the" and "is," they are ready for Miss Wendy's decodable readers. These 18 books have NO other sight words. So. Much. Easier.
2. Keep it short
When your child is showing more of an interest in reading books, look for very basic, very short stories. This will help your emergent reader feel accomplished when they finish a whole book!
Don't worry if at first your child reads half of the story and is done for the day. When they're just beginning, it's best not to overwhelm them. Just keep at it, and it won't be long before they can read the entire story. Rereading is great, too: it builds fluency and helps your child find their "voice" as the story becomes familiar.
3. Choose books that build reading skills, not guessing
The best books for emergent readers have little to no illustrations. Why is that important?
When a story has a picture on every page, your child will naturally look at the picture and guess at the storyline. That isn't reading, it's guessing. And it leaves you scrambling to cover the picture with your hand and tell your child to read what the words say. Sound familiar?
Many of my students' parents have told me they have to do this with the books their children bring home. They don't want to teach their children to guess from pictures, and often guess wrong. They would rather their children use and develop their reading skills. I agree!
Pictures can also be distracting. When your child is trying to focus on the words, the text should be clear, with an uncluttered field of vision. This is especially important if your child shows signs of attention issues or has been diagnosed with dyslexia.
Will your child miss seeing illustrations? Maybe. Or maybe they'll be relieved that the story is less distracting and easier to read. Here's what one mom discovered when her children read Miss Wendy's Favorite Phonetic Books, which have no illustrations other than the covers:
"With the books I was a little nervous about not having pictures and keeping my kids entertained. Well to my surprise when asking them what they liked about the book they said they liked that it didn't have pictures. It makes it so they can make up the picture of how they would like it. I also like that it makes them have to focus on the words." —Heather R., Mom
Another mom, whose daughter missed the pictures, had a creative solution. They would draw pictures on a whiteboard of what her daughter had just read. Her daughter still used her reading skills instead of guessing, and then showed her comprehension by drawing. Genius!
4. Make reading fun, and celebrate progress
Emergent readers work hard, so celebrate their efforts in meaningful, fun ways. Keep a running total of the books they read, with a prize when they reach their goal. For example, decorate a poster with your child's name at the top and numbered spaces to fill in with the title of each book. After 25 books, they get a toy they've always wanted, or a set of story character magnets. Your child will love seeing the LONG list of books they've read!
A whisper phone (reading phone) is another simple way to make practice fun. Your child hears their own voice clearly as they read aloud, which helps them focus on each word and builds fluency and comprehension.
Is my child ready for decodable books?
Your child is ready to start reading decodable books when they can:
- Say the sound each letter makes (short vowel sounds and hard consonants)
- Blend two or three sounds together to read a simple word
- Recognize the three sight words "a," "the" and "is"
Still working on letter sounds? Our free alphabet coloring pages show the sound each letter makes, with a picture to color or trace. For more on how to use the books, when to move up a level and how to build comprehension, see the decodable readers FAQ.
Quick checklist: the best books for emergent readers
- Decodable: every word can be sounded out
- Few sight words: ideally only the most basic ones
- Short: a story your child can finish and feel proud of
- Few or no pictures: so your child reads the words instead of guessing
- Fun: engaging characters and stories worth rereading
I hope these tips help you choose the best books for your emergent reader! Have a question about Miss Wendy’s books? Send me a message.