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Should You Allow Your Child to Read Books That Are “Too Hard”?

Anne Hauth • August 1, 2023

“This book is too hard for you.” “This book isn’t at the right level.”

Have you ever said these things to a developing reader? You may have. As we all know, a book at the wrong level can easily cause a struggling reader to feel frustrated or incompetent—which may lead to just turning the pages and looking at pictures. Thus, it’s often appropriate to direct them toward easier reading material.


And yet, in some situations, a book that’s “too hard” is exactly the right choice. How do you know the difference?


An Education Week article entitled, Don’t Crush Reading Motivation,”* explores this topic. The article describes two types of reading: guided reading and self-selected reading. Guided reading is at the student’s instructional level, as determined by assessments. When students are involved in this type of reading, the teacher provides reading material at the correct level. This may mean steering students away from books that are too difficult. Guided reading has many benefits as students work to become fluent, but students’ choices are limited and sometimes don't match their interests.


The second type of reading, self-selected reading, involves the student choosing their own reading material from the library, classroom bookshelf, etc. In these situations, the student should be allowed to choose any book they are interested in—even a book that’s too hard. As the Education Week article explains:


“Through self-selected reading, students gain both a sense of independence and greater self-confidence. When their choices are validated—when the book is interesting and they enjoy it—they learn that they can make good decisions on their own. What's more, knowing that they can make wise reading choices can increase their motivation, a key component of independent reading. When a child is motivated to read a book, for whatever reason, this often compensates for any reading difficulties.


But what if a self-selected book is entirely too challenging for the student to read independently? In this situation, the student should be encouraged to read the book with a proficient reader—another student, a reading buddy from an older grade, or an available adult. Although the student’s independent reading time may be compromised while reading this book, there may be a bigger payoff in motivation and engagement—two very important components of independent reading. Students need books that motivate them to read and keep them engaged. When these elements are present, the student wants to read more often, and reading skills improve.


The Education Week article asserts that both guided reading and self-selected reading are important for developing readers, and we agree. In many ways, students working in One Minute Reader enjoy the benefits of both types of reading, without the drawbacks.


In the One Minute Reader program, students are placed into a level that’s slightly above instructional level. The level provides a challenge, but the strategy offers the support required for the student to succeed. Within this level, the student selects any story they want to read. All stories are high-interest nonfiction, and topics were carefully chosen to appeal to students of all ages. Because the student has the ability to self-select a story, engagement and motivation increase. One Minute Reader also provides audio support, so the student is still able to work independently. Motivation is enhanced by self-monitoring of progress, another key component of the program.


When students are working in One Minute Reader, they’re engaged with their self-selected reading material, and nobody needs to tell them it’s too hard.

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By Anne Hauth September 23, 2025
Reading fluency is a crucial skill that bridges the gap between decoding words and understanding their meaning. One effective strategy to build fluency is repeated reading —a technique where a student reads the same text multiple times until they achieve a level of fluency that feels natural and confident. What Is Repeated Reading? Repeated reading involves selecting a short passage at an appropriate reading level--ideally at or slightly above the student's instructional level. The student reads this passage several times, focusing on improving speed, accuracy, and expression with each reading. This practice allows for mastery of the text, leading to fluent and confident reading. Fluent reading should sound like conversational speaking--natural and expressive. Why Does It Work? Research shows* that repeated reading can lead to significant improvements in reading performance. The benefits include: Improved Word Recognition : By encountering the same words repeatedly, students become more familiar with them, leading to quicker and more accurate recognition. When these words become automatic, the students no longer need to put effort into decoding them. Increased Reading Fluency : Reading the same passage multiple times allows students to build fluency--each time reading it more smoothly and with greater expression. Enhanced Comprehension : As fluency improves, students can focus more on understanding the text, leading to better comprehension. This improvement in comprehension extends to unpracticed passages as well. Increased Confidence : Repeated reading is a form of mastery learning. Many beginning or struggling readers don't often get the opportunity to hear themselves sounding like fluent readers. After reading a passage multiple times, they've mastered it--and they sound great! This is a huge confidence boost that motivates them to keep reading. Repeated Reading at Home Incorporating the repeated reading strategy into your child's home reading routine doesn't have to be complicated or boring. In fact, many kids already do it! You've probably noticed that they often want to read the same book over and over. Don't discourage this--as long as they haven't totally memorized the entire text, they're building skills each time they read it. To work on repeated reading with your child at home, here's a simple strategy: Use an Appropriate Passage : Have your child choose a new short text that is slightly challenging but still within their level. Listen to Your Child Read : Have your child read the passage aloud to you. Note any words that are difficult for them to decode. Read Aloud Together : Read the passage aloud with your child, modeling fluent reading. Do this one to three times. Identify the difficult words together, and provide definitions. Independent Practice : Encourage your child to read the passage independently a few more times, focusing on improving their expression with each reading. Celebrate Progress : Affirm how much your child improved from the first reading to the final reading. Acknowledge their hard work and progress to build confidence and motivation. Additional Tips Keep Sessions Short : Aim for 10- to 15-minute sessions at first, to maintain focus and prevent frustration. Consider Using a Timer : If your child is open to the idea, set a timer each time they read the passage. Note their improvement in time, and celebrate their fluency growth. Make the timing element a fun challenge, but emphasize that this exercise isn't about speed reading--it's about building fluency. Repeated reading is a powerful strategy that can significantly enhance your child's reading ability. If you're looking for an easy-to-use program that incorporates this research-proven strategy, check out One Minute Reader . This program uses repeated reading and gamified learning to help kids at various reading levels build fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and confidence. * Dowhower, S. L. (1987). Effects of repeated reading on second-grade transitional readers’ fluency and comprehension. Reading Research Quarterly , 22(4), 389–405. Kuhn, M. R., & Stahl, S. A. (2003). Fluency: A review of developmental and remedial practices. Journal of Educational Psychology , 95(1), 3–21. LaBerge, D., & Samuels, S. J. (1974). Toward a theory of automatic information processing in reading. Cognitive Psychology , 6(2), 292–323.
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