The Right Book Matters More Than the Right Level

In partnership with

Welcome to Tiny Steps to Confident Readers.

Over the next six weeks, we’ll focus on helping your child build reading confidence, one small, achievable step at a time.

Before we dive in, here’s your Progress Tracker so you always know where you are:

Week-by-Week Progress Tracker

• Week 1: Tiny Moments. Big Confidence. (Past Issue)

• Week 2: The Right Book Matters More Than the Right Level (You Are Here)

• Week 3: Turning Reading Into Playtime

• Week 4: Every Tiny Reading Win Counts

• Week 5: How to Build a Gentle Reading Habit

• Week 6: Keeping the Confidence Growing

Week 2: The Right Book Matters More Than the Right Level

When a child struggles with reading, the first instinct is often to find a book at the "right level."

But here’s the truth:
Level doesn’t create love.
Connection does.

If a child loves dinosaurs, but the dinosaur book is technically "too easy," it doesn’t matter.

If they adore a story about a brave fairy, even if the words are simple, it doesn’t matter.

When children care about what they are reading, their brains switch from defence to discovery.

This Week’s Tiny Step:

Focus on interest first, level second.

• Let your child choose a book based on what excites them—not what challenges them.

• If they want to re-read the same favourite story, let them.

• If they want a fact book with pictures and captions, support it.

The goal is to connect reading with pleasure, not pressure.

A child who wants to read, even something easy, is a child who is building stamina, confidence, and self-trust.

Practical Ways to Support Their Choice

• Visit the library and head straight to sections they love (dinosaurs, vehicles, fairy tales, cooking… anything).

• Let them pick a book for fun, even if it looks “too easy” or “too silly.”

• Celebrate any choice they make with positive attention, not correction.

"I love how excited you were to pick this!"

is far more powerful than

"Let's find a harder book."

Reflection for Parents and Carers

• Are there books you secretly wish your child would read?

• Are there books your child secretly wishes you would let them love?

Closing the gap between those two is where true reading confidence begins.

Thank you, Lulu, for sponsoring this week’s newsletter!

Turn Your Ideas Into Profit with a Book

At Lulu, you’ll find affordable, high-quality print-on-demand solutions that make book publishing easy, allowing you to grow your brand and audience while keeping 100% of your profit.

Create Your Free Account Today

This Week’s Gentle Challenge:

Let your child choose their own book this week.

Say yes without worrying about the level.

Then, please sit down and read with them, no matter what it is.

You’re not just building reading skills. You’re building trust in them.

Next week, we’ll explore how to turn reading sessions into playful adventures that capture even the most reluctant reader’s attention.

You’re doing the important work, one step at a time.

Keep going.