The children learned how to choose a just right book this week for their book boxes. They now are allowed to have no more than 2 high preference books in their boxes, but can have an endless amount of just right readers. They learned that choosing a just right book is like riding a bike. Some books are too easy, some are too hard, and some are just right! I taught the children that it is important to choose a just right book for their independent reading and taught them strategies to use when evaluating a book. They learned how to use the 5 finger rule when choosing a book to know whether it is a just right book. If you stumble on 2-3 words in a book, it is a just right book. An appropriately leveled book will allow a reader to apply strategies for understanding the text. A book that is too hard (5 or more difficult words) will only lead to frustration and a book that is too easy (no difficult words) will not support opportunities for growth. A just right book will have some challenging words that the reader will have to solve and will also cause the reader to at times reread a sentence to better comprehend the meaning.
