Beginner books are the first books for children.
A beginner book is a picture book. In addition to pictures the book has fairly simple easy words. These early reader books are different from just children’s books or chapter books. Beginner books are commonly known as kindergarten books, emerging readers, beginning readers, or easy readers.
These books are designed so the child can master sight words and decode the text corresponding with the picture. A beginner book can have larger fonts, short sentences, repetitive phrases, and rhymes that help the child identify the word with the picture.
If the author has mastered the recipe of brilliant pictures combined with beginning reading words that keeps the child engaged, then there is a better chance the child’s reading experience will be a happy one that leads to further reading.
Prior to Beginner Books, parents of emergent readers were limited to basal reader books such as Jack and Jill ran up the Hill and Ned in the First Reader (that lacked inspiration and failed to keep youngsters engaged). These books were just chosen by the publisher and pushed to the public as a standard until now.
Early beginner books. In 1958 Ted Geisel, compiled a list of 379 words as the basic vocabulary for young readers, along with another 20 slightly harder “emergency” words. There were only four books on the beginner books list that year. These books incorporated, fictitious words, silliness and fantasy illustrations. All four were written by Dr. Seuss.
While working for his publisher, Ted Geisel developed in-house beginner books by commissioning and approving authors, Stan and Jan Berenstain, who created Berenstain Bears.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) defines “early childhood” as occurring before the age of eight. During this “early childhood” a youngster goes through a swift phase of growth and development. Their brains develop faster than at any other point in their lives. During these years the building blocks of self-esteem, social skills, development of cognitive skills, and moral outlook are established.
“By the time a child is 3, the brain is 80 percent developed; at 5, 90 percent,” according to FirstThingsFirst.org. These early years represent the critical time for children to start building the neurological connections and links that they will need to function in the real world as successful adults.
Studies show (as quoted on https://www.naeyc.org/ and FirstThingsFirst.org.) :
- Today the next generation of Beginner Books are available to complete the early mind development.
- These new revolutionary books continue to shape the landscape of early literacy. The vocabulary of Beginner Books is slightly more advanced than the basal Dick and Jane, Green hats and Ham or Barnum Baily Bears.
- Today we realize that the next generation of Beginner Books illustrated in the Dr. Qooz’ collection of Beginner Books pushes the envelope of the child’s mind. Gripping, imaginative plots, zany colorful illustrations combined with the elementary 400 words makes a standalone beginner book. However Dr. Qooz adds pertinent nomenclature with a glossary known as Dr. Qooz’ Words to Use in the back of every book that helps capture the attention of kids. Helping children to read is a passion of Dr. Qooz. He is dedicated to creating books for young children with the goal of helping them LEARN to read and WANT to read.
For years, Dr. Qooz has paid untold millions of house calls with a unique, imaginative style to welcoming children and their grateful parents. Children and parents appreciate appropriate humor. Parents appreciate stories of substance, which includes common sense, moral compass, and life lessons, all of which which encourages children to try new things
This next generation of Beginner Books are written to entrance, entertain and capture the child’s imagination.
The objective is:
mastering sight words,
building a vocabulary,
building fluency,
progressively adding to the complexity of text,
stirring their imagination,
developing a love of reading,
all the while being entertaining.
A child’s mind develops quicker prior to age 8. There is debate over the complexity of nomenclature used for these young tender minds. However, thankfully, their young minds will not be overstimulated, their minds are like a sponge, they will store the information until needed.
A variety of books with the subject matter that the child enjoys insures the child’s love for reading will develop. Observing the child’s interest in choosing books that will keep them interested is the best support a parent can give the child. The objective is not just to entertain but to teach, engage, and interest while working with the child to ultimately reach “that teaching, moment” when seeing the child’s eyes light up about a book. This is the window that you are appealing to that prevents the child from saying in the first or third grade ‘I’m not a reader’ and ‘I don’t like reading.'”
If you can get the child to start saying, “read it again,” you know that you’re on the right track!
Praise the child, encourage the child to read or repeat a word after you. Eventually the child will see the gratification of picking up a book and reading words anywhere on their own without any help from you. Celebrate this milepost in reading BIGGER than a birthday. You will light a fire in that child to read voraciously. Celebrate, you say, YES, the child just graduated from child-college and the following tip will pay the scholarship in full.
A parent reading to a child 20 minutes a day is the absolute best investment in the child’s education that you can make over school, college or money. A 30 year study by Tim Trelease, shows that a child read to 20 minutes a day will be number one in their class in school, college and management on their job!
One day your little bookworm will be heard saying, “I love to read!”
When it comes to the more times your child reads easy reader books, the more they will sharpen and hone their skills, and the more their fluency improves. Practice is key when it comes to reading, repetition is the answer. Just mix the books up so they are fresh to the child.
Some books are branded as Beginner Books. In reality, they are not stimulating to the child, no growth of reading is accomplished, and a waste of time. With 44,500 new children’s books published a year, the maze to finding good books for your child can be daunting. Beware of the boring, senseless, Cultus Wha Wha, (needless chatter), books in the easy book industry. Silly and fun is OK in measure. Your selection of kindergarten books should have mind growing substance that stirs the child’s imagination and keeps their interest.
A good early reader book list is vitally important to help spawn an early love of reading!
Some books may be suitable to read aloud but, they might not be conducive to independent reading. You can help to sharpen your child’s developing skills by selecting books tailored to their interests, age, and development. These choices will build confidence and help the child to become a fluent reader.
Entrance books are deliberately controlled and simple, making it easier for your early reader to master the sentences and words while boosting their confidence. The beginner books have limited number of words with imaginative verses and bold illustrations with a vocabulary that defines the story.
When your child begins the transition from an observant listener to an active participant during your reading sessions you will notice they are starting to string together letter sounds and recognize words on the page. At this stage you will know that the child is entering an exciting new phase as an emergent reader! This important, formative period of literacy development calls for more advance reading techniques. Continue to select books of interest to the child in their age group. This progress is because the books are entertaining as well as educational.
Desirable Beginner Books have the same basic criteria:
• quality of characters that are the same qualities you want to see in their friends,
• ease of vocabulary – all words matter and defined,
• promotion of virtue – books that celebrate respect, common sense and imagination.
• appropriate humor, and
• good morality.
Now your Beginner Book favorite stories are available as autographed heirlooms.
Happy reading!
