When helping your striving reader find the right books to foster a lifelong love of reading, it’s important to remember that meeting your child where they are in their reading journey while gently encouraging them to keep exploring goes a long way.
One of the best ways to foster a love of reading is to be a reading role model. According to the Scholastic Kids and Family Reading Report, parents of frequent readers are also more likely to be frequent readers themselves. Setting aside time to read as a family every day — whether you read together or independently — makes a huge impact. Taking the time to set up this regular routine and discuss what you each love about your book will give your child an opportunity to share their interests.
Allowing children to choose their own books also has an impact on the reading habits of striving readers. One of the most important things a parent can do to support their child is to allow them the freedom to select their own reading material. In fact, the Scholastic Kids and Family Reading Report has consistently shown over the years that the majority of kids (89 percent) agree their favorite books are the ones they pick out themselves.
So which kinds of books are worth exploring with your striving reader? A variety! Have fun exploring fiction, nonfiction, biographies, graphic novels, and more to encourage your child to follow their interests — and discover new ones! For striving readers in grades 2 to 5, reading a series is often a wonderful way to get them hooked on reading. Familiarity with characters and their worlds will offer a consistent, reliable reading experience kids will want to return to again and again.
A chapter book series like Pokémon and Harry Potter will engage and delight reluctant readers with their colorful worlds and memorable characters. Meanwhile, book sets that include diverse characters that kids can see themselves in, such as Our Voices: Home & Family, help them better connect with a story. Additionally, graphic novel series like Dog Man and The Baby-sitters Club will sharpen reading comprehension through their higher vocabulary range and easy-to-follow illustrations.
Discover popular series for striving readers in grades 2-5 below! Shop all Books Sets & Collections at The Scholastic Store.
