Whether your child has already developed a love of reading or is still in doubt when it comes to choosing books, there’s an easy way for them to choose the right books for themselves. It’s called the five finger rule!
Here’s how it works: Your child opens a book to the first page. they read the page and hold up a finger for each word they don’t know or can’t pronounce. the number of fingers they hold at the end of the page tells them if the book is at the correct level:
You are reading: Five finger rule for just right books
- 0-1 fingers: it’s too easy.
- 2-3 fingers: it’s perfect.
- 4-5 fingers: it’s too hard (or reads better out loud with a partner).
Two or three fingers is the sweet spot. if they’re lagging more or less, that’s a clue that they should try to find another book if they’re reading independently. (On that note, here are 30+ great books to get early readers started!)
There are many good things about this method. for example, it’s easy for kids to understand, it’s fast, and they can do it anywhere! but FYI, as with most things, it has its pros and cons. “This can be a tricky rule because it takes a complex concept, reading development, and oversimplifies it,” says Barbara Steckel, Ed.D, professor of language and literacy at Lesley College in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
See Also: Favorite Kwanzaa Read Alouds – Elementary Nest
vocabulary is just one element that defines the readability of a text, adds steckel. Another important factor is that your child is reading a book whose content matches his or her level of understanding and maturity (here are age-appropriate books for advanced readers).
for young children, the placement of the words on the page and the images that support the text also contribute to their understanding, helping them to decode unknown words. That’s why branch books, for example, are so great for early readers: they combine picture book and chapter book attributes to help children make the leap to longer texts.
That said, it’s worth teaching your kids the five-finger rule, so they can use it when they need it. Steckel says this technique works particularly well for kids in late kindergarten through early second grade, for example, when they’re in a reading group at school and are tasked with independently selecting books. When they use the five-finger rule to find the right book, they won’t have to separate a teacher from another group to ask for help. In addition, it supports their independence and confidence in reading. (To further improve your reading skills, here are books teachers recommend keeping at home.)
And of course, don’t let the rule make your child miss out on great and interesting books they might otherwise have tried to read. Steckel uses the example of a boy who absolutely loves baseball (they know all the players, their stats, and the history of the teams) and enthusiastically brings home a baseball book. it seems quite difficult and they have all five fingers up after the first page.
See Also: The Best Books for Dog Lovers – Scientific American Blog Network
“Are you going to tell them not to read the book? No! Your motivation and desire to read the book will reduce its complexity,” Steckel says. sometimes challenges too big for them help kids grow in ways that a more “appropriate” book wouldn’t. Plus, you can always read the book with them and help them along the way.
In a nutshell: File the five-finger rule under “cool tricks” and encourage your child to use it when they need to pick out a book on their own. but also keep in mind that it is a starting point, not a definitive rule. reading is reading (and amazing!) no matter what a book’s five-finger rule score is.
You can buy all of the Early Reader books in the Scholastic Store.
For more tips on finding books at the right level for your child, visit our guide to children’s reading levels. You’ll find all kinds of information, including tips to help you find the reading level of books and more.
See Also: Resources For Incarcerated People – Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop