We talk about the idea that books are a lot like shoes and that shoes are worn for many different purposes:
We work all year on choosing books that are a "good fit" for us.
-Tennis shoes for walking on the treadmill and walking the dogs
-Snowmobile boots for playing outside in the snow
-Sandals for those warm summer days
-Dressy shoes for when we need to look our best
I show the kids that all my shoes fit my foot and we talk about the purpose of each pair.
Then I put on my husband's size 13 shoes and tell the kids that they too fit my purpose for walking the dogs and playing outside, but they are too big and don't fit.
We talk about the fact that we also read books for a purpose.
We read:
-For enjoyment
-To learn something new
BUT not every book will fit every reader just like not every shoe will fit every foot so we need to look at more than just our purpose for reading. For example, although we might all be interested in dogs, not all dog books will "fit" each and every one of us. Some of us might "fit" best into Biscuit books while others of us might "fit" better into chapter books.
We use the I PICK strategy to decide if a book is a good fit
I choose a book
P urpose (Does this book fit my purpose? What is my purpose?)
I nterest (Is this something I am interested in?)
C omprehension (Do I comprehend/understand what I am reading?)
K now the words (Do I know most of the words?)
As your child is picking books out at the library or book store ask them to use their
I PICK strategy and make sure the book is a "Good Fit".
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