Riverdale Readers provides high-quality books for children who are first learning to read. We create levelled books, the same kind that are found in schools, and make them available for use at home and in the community. All children should have a successful start in reading, and providing the right material is essential.
The vast majority of books available in the
community are children’s picture books, which are
meant to be read to children since the text is too
sophisticated for beginning readers. It’s vital for
children always to have access to picture books, to
choose what interests them, and to listen and
respond to these stories. But, for those who are
ready to begin reading, it’s also vital that they have
books that are easy enough to read by themselves.
“… enormous amounts of easy and interesting reading are absolutely essential to developing effective reading strategies…. When children struggle with the material they are reading, they cannot apply the strategies that good readers use, and they do not develop the habits and attitudes that good readers do.”
- – From Schools That Work: Where All Children Read and Write
One of our most cherished goals is to provide the reader with an entertaining story that has just the right amount of opportunity for learning.
“Children want the same things we want: to laugh, to be challenged, to be entertained and delighted.”
- – Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss)
What are the key features of the Riverdale Readers collection?
- delightful stories
that can be read successfully by first-time readers
- appealing artwork
and natural language that children hear in everyday life
- written by literacy professionals
and creative storytellers
- common sight words
that beginning readers need to know
- levelled books
that systematically and gently introduce more challenging text
- grounded in research
into how children learn to read
Keeping the reader’s interest alive is paramount. A good story will motivate children to read more, and the more they read, the more their abilities will flourish. If we want children to develop a habit of reading and to like reading, then the challenge is to hook their interest right from the start.
At Riverdale Readers, we rise to that challenge.