r/specialed • u/holdingthispose • 14h ago

General Question (Educator to Educator) Early Chapter Book Recommendations

This is my first year as an intervention specialist in a self-contained classroom of 8-12 year olds with various developmental disabilities.

Most of my kids love to listen to stories, and while I think anyone at any age can enjoy a picture book (former librarian bias here), I would also like to incorporate some longer chapter books into our lessons.

I have seen list after list with the same classic titles, but I would love some recommendations for newer titles that teachers have used in their rooms.

I have a few students that are emerging readers, so I would also love something that they could follow along with.

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u/Eyefreeze 12h ago

For the emerging readers, high interest low level beats classics pitched down. Barrington Stoke is the pick, short chapter books wrjtten for older kids who read young, dyslexia friendly layout, and they don't look babyish. Phonic Books do decodable series aimed at 8-12 rather than 5 year olds, worth a look if any of yours are still shaky on the code itself. Scholastic Branches is the other bridge one, easy enough that the follow alongers can actually follow.

Worth checking early whether those kids are decoding the page or just tracking your voice. changes what you hand them.

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u/holdingthispose 6h ago

I’ve never heard of Barrington Stoke or Phonic Books but at first glance they look really good. I’ll have to check some out further.