5 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Book for Your Child

Choosing the right book for your child is important for the child’s emotional, cognitive, and psychological development.

Experts agree that reading books to a child has a very positive effect on the holistic development of the child. Books can open many doors for children. By carefully selecting a book to match your child’s interests and curiosities, you can bring new worlds to your doorstep. You can teach your child how to deal with his daily life and how to build literacy skills while having fun.

Reading can help your child:

Recognize sounds and words, and gain early literacy skills.
Learn to value books.
Boost imagination.
Recognize new and powerful emotions and learn how to deal with them.
Develop social skills and the ability to concentrate.
Manage stress levels.
Discern the difference between fact and fiction.
Learn about the world as well as the culture and the cultures of others.

What questions should you ask when choosing books for your child?

1. Is the book appropriate for your child’s age?
Children enter the literary world for the first time through their parents. Choosing a suitable book for a young child is, therefore, especially important. If the book is appropriate for your child’s age, it means that your child can easily understand it, which can only enhance his love of reading. Each child develops at their own pace; therefore age cannot be the only thing you need to consider.

Watch for these book qualities when choosing reading material for your child:

The book is written in a language that your child can understand.
Your child can relate to the main characters of the book.
Your child can follow the storyline.
Some important words in the books are repeated or rhymed, so that your child can remember them afterwards.
The book has large, vibrant, and colorful illustrations that will engage your child.
The subject matter of the book matches your child’s daily life interests and activities: for example, going to sleep, toilet training, or starting school.
The book is about things that pique your child’s curiosity: for example, nature, animals, emotions, and daily activities.

2. Is the book safe for your child?
Make sure to check whether the book is appropriate for your child’s social, emotional, and cognitive development level. You may want to purchase books approved by professional educators and psychologists.

3. Is the book of good quality?
What especially reinforces the love of reading in children is the quality of books being read. Here are some quality criteria to guide you when selecting a book for your child:

The book’s subject matter is engaging, thought provoking, educational, and entertaining.
The book’s topic is scientifically sound.
The book’s language is easy to understand.
The concepts covered in the book are appropriate for your child’s age.

4. Is the book interesting to read?
A good children’s book should grab the reader’s attention with its dynamic and engaging storytelling. A fun plot can boost your child’s interest in reading. Besides, your child can concentrate better if the book has an engaging story with appealing characters. He may enjoy books that are funny, deal with unexpected problems, and feature hilarious characters and surprising turns of events.

5. Are there plenty of colorful illustrations in the book?
Kids rely on the visual cues and their own imagination to understand a story. Make sure to choose a book with vivid and clear imagery that supports the storyline of the book. A book with memorable illustrations can give your child the opportunity to think and talk about the story. As the story in the book progresses, the colorful illustrations can help your child develop his visual perception and storytelling skills. Creative visuals can also stimulate your child’s imagination.

How to choose a book together with your child:

Let your child choose which books he would like to read. Before purchasing a book, make sure your child gets an opportunity to look through the books he likes. Together, you can visit a bookstore in your neighborhood or browse your favorite website through the selections of books for children. You can also look through previews of digital books.
Listen to your child’s stories. Make sure to support your child when he may be inspired to make up his own story when reading a book that has large, vivid pictures.
Read books together. As a significant step towards a lifelong love of reading, encourage your child to ask you to read his favorite books for him. You can inspire a love of literacy in your child by reading books together voluntarily and without any pressure.

Picking the right book for your child is now easier with Kidly!
Every story in the Kidly library has been carefully selected and vetted by expert educators and psychologists!

Kidly’s compliance with EdTech research on learning and pedagogy has been vetted by independent education researchers and teacher evaluators from Finland, who have awarded Kidly with the Pedagogical Quality Certificate. The Quality Certificate confirms that Kidly is a reliable, high-quality learning solution. Every book published on Kidly has been reviewed and approved by accredited psychologists.

Kidly stories reflect today’s values, including protection of the environment, self-sustainability, and diversity.

Fun is essential in Kidly’s rich library! With their powerful visuals and delightful characters, Kidly stories reinforce the love of reading in children while being fun to read!

Ready to discover Kidly right now?