Today we have another fabulous reader and blogger Nidhi Dorairaj Bruce contributing to our wonderful Reading corner. She is a Mumbaiite, Mom to a daughter she calls Kidlet and a great tweeter. Over to you Nidhi!
Your child has just crossed that all-important milestone of reading books or rather words on her own and is now venturing into reading complete sentences. You are delighted when you catch her trying to read out phrases from ‘big-people’ books or the daily newspaper. Congratulations, and welcome to wondrous phase where your child is an early reader.
It is very important to encourage an early reader because for them it is still a daunting task to identify the words, phonics and sounds. To help your child blossom through this phase you should
Choose appropriate books for kids
Books for early readers are ones that are not hard to read,, have pictures in them along with text and books which have repetitive text in them so that the successful experience of reading will encourage them to read more.
Read yourself
One of the best way to encourage your reader is to read yourself, when your child sees you reading then he/she will also feel the inclination to read. You need to switch off electronic devices and start reading because telling your child to read the books when you are watching television does not send the right message.
Talk about the books
Once you are through with the reading session don’t forget to discuss about the books, characters, what they learnt, words which they remember now and so on. This will keep the interest alive in the children and will keep them going back to the books.
There are some books for kids, which are beloved to children from across the globe, that you can include in your young reader child’s reading list. Here is a list of Top 10 books that your early reader would love to read :
Top 10 Books for early readers
by Margaret Atwood
The story of two friends up on a tree. The stuff childhood adventures are made of. But then they get stranded. Who rescues them? And how do they continue their tree climbing plans?
A beautifully illustrated book which will endear both you and your child!
by Dr.Seuss
You cannot go wrong with Dr.Suess. The green back series has lovely titles for early readers. Wacky Wednesday is a hugely entertaining book that will keep your child reading and poring into each page with keen interest. A Wednesday where everything goes wacky, what could be more fun?
by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
The Gruffalo is an imagined character dreamt up by a clever little mouse to fool his potential hunters. But what if the Gruffalo turns out to be real? The Gruffalo series is catchy and clever. Short sentences, but some challenging words – perfect for an early reader.
by Ashok Rajagopalan
A glorious little book about a ‘Big nose that caught a big cold’. Gajapati Kulpati is not only an entertaining little book with Indian main characters, it also introduces children to a village life set up. This book and other titles from Tulika would make ideal additions to your child’s library.
by Albert Lamb
‘And do you remember what happened before that?’ This is a classically illustrated book about a bear family that has just woken up after hibernating through winter. The baby and mamma bear play a game of remembering what happened through the day – backwards! An ideal bedtime book, which can lead up to your child’s own playback of the day.
by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman
As the title suggests, this is a story about a bear with a loose tooth. This little tale could help you in preparing your child for losing her milk teeth. A sweet story set in the forest with a set of animal friends. There are more ‘Bear’ books from the same authors – you can build a set!
by Saker Mistri and Shaheen Mistri
Miss. Muglee is a crocodile feeling lonely in the forest, so her friend the frog takes her to the big city, Mumbai. An adventure set against the backdrop of differences between men and animals. Written in verse, this book is a must have for any early reader collection.
by Emma Chichester Clark
This book, and the others in the Blue Kangaroo series follow Lily and her stuffed toy the blue kangaroo. Everyday childhood situations provide the themes. The ‘I Love You..’ book explores the theme of attachment and loyalty.
by Chloe & Mick Inkpen
Children and magic go very well together indeed. In this book your early reader will find words, expressions and lots of magic!
by David Flavell and Alison Bartlett
This is a musical take on the Biblical story of Noah’s Ark. What does Noah do to stop the animals from eating each other up, while the flood waters rise outside? He makes them form a band – with hilarious consequences. Long words, new sounds – a great story to read out aloud!
So go ahead and explore all these wonderful books with your little reader and help them grow their love for the written word by leaps and bounds.
 Nidhi Dorairaj Bruce is a Freelance writer from Mumbai. Read her chronicles of mommy-hood atÂ
If you would love to contribute to the Reading Corner do send me a mail at [email protected]