How to Introduce Chapter Books to Preschoolers

Surprising fact of the day: it is totally possible to introduce chapter books to preschoolers and for them to LOVE it. Your three year old just might be ready to sit down with you and dive into a chapter book series.

I had always dreamed of reading classic children’s chapter books to my daughters- Charlotte’s Web, Where the Red Fern Grows, The Secret Garden.  I loved the idea of hearing them ask for just “one more chapter” as we were all cozy and tucked in together on the couch.

However, that seemed like a long way off.  To truly enjoy chapter books, I was thinking that my children would need to be AT LEAST five or six years old.

Chapter books weren’t even on my radar until one day my mom said she had found a great series- and she thought my not-even-three-year-old was ready. I thought my mom was crazy.  I kept asking her- are you sure?  She’s TWO.  No way is she ready for chapter books.

I was so wrong. My daughter (who at the time was a few months shy of turning three) LOVED her first chapter book- and we’ve been enjoying them ever since.  And in this I learned a few valuable lessons:

1. Don’t hold out until you think your child might be ready- they might just surprise you early.
2. I need to always listen to my mom.

But when introducing chapter books to YOUNG learners, there’s a few tips and tricks to make it more successful:

1. Do Fun Activities With the Chapter Book- Coloring Sheets, Act it Out, etc.

Chapter books inherently aren’t as interactive as board books and picture books are.  Often there’s not as many illustrations or as much color- children really have to rely on the words to know what’s going on.

So since these books aren’t quite as interactive as your child is used to, bring the interaction to them.  Create little activities for them or work it into imaginary play.

Coloring Sheets

When we did our first chapter book (The Heartwood Hotel), I printed out a simple coloring sheet each day for when my daughter met a new character.  (All of the characters are woodland creatures, so she was excited every morning to see a new coloring sheet with a squirrel or a mouse on it.)  While she colored, we talked about that character and what they had done the day before in the book.

Each time we met a new character, she was excited about a new coloring sheet to go along with it. Not only did it help her interact with the book more, but it also helped her remember the characters better.  

Pretend Play

Another idea is to act it out and incorporate it into their pretend play.  Preschoolers LOVE pretend play, so bring the book into this.

My daughter naturally did this with The Heartwood Hotel– wanting to act out like her stuffed animals were coming into a cozy hotel from a big storm.  I hung up a sheet in her room to make a little tent that served as the hotel and she brought in all of her animal friends- assigning each a character’s name from the book.

In another series we love, Sophie Mouse, the character is often doing more real life skills like baking or drawing.  So if it’s possible, we do those things as well.  For example, after we read a book about Sophie Mouse finding a place outdoors to paint, we did a short nature walk in the yard and tried to draw pictures out there.

2. Read a Little Bit Each Day

The biggest challenge with chapter books for little ones is remembering the characters, the plot, and where they left off.  One thing to really help with this is by being consistent and to read a little bit each day.

Just one chapter a day is enough to keep them hooked without them burning out.

Schedule it into your day and make it predictable.  When we first started chapter books we read one chapter a day after her nap.

Now that her little sister is fully mobile and loves to create a distracting environment, we read a chapter or two during our “snuggle time” while her sister is napping.

3. Leave Them Wanting More

A good chapter book will end each chapter with some sort of cliff hanger.  Make a big deal out of it!  Ask them dramatically “what do you think is going to happen next???”  Talk about it during the rest of the day with an attitude of anticipation.  Be as excited to read more as they are.

And if they’re begging you for “just one more chapter”- you know you’ve got them hooked.

Let them have the fun of having to eagerly wait to find out what happens next. It’ll help them look forward to the next time they get to read with you.  Eagerly anticipating getting to read is a hallmark of a lifelong reader.

4. Find a Series That They Like and Stick With It

One of the hardest parts of chapter books is just learning the characters.  So if you can find a series that they LOVE, stick with it.  It makes it so much easier for them to follow along with a book when they’re already familiar with the characters and the general style of the book.

Becoming attached to the characters makes them eager to read more of the books. After we read our first Sophie Mouse book, my daughter was hooked.  When we went to the library and she saw almost an entire shelf full of Sophie Mouse books- she was elated.

It might take a bit of trial and error to really find a series that they’re hooked on, but with so many options, it is definitely possible. (And a post with our favorite three series so far is linked at the end of this post!)

5. Find Books That Relate to Their Interests

One of my favorite things about chapter books is that the subject matter starts to be more relatable for kids- especially at this moment for preschoolers as their world starts to expand.

Your kid is obsessed with soccer?  Find a book about a kid playing soccer.  They have dreams of being a ballerina?  There’s probably a chapter book with a character who wants to be a ballerina.  

They’re having a blast running around pretending to solve mysteries?  You can find 367 chapter books with a kid who solves mysteries.

If they can identify with a character in the book, they’ll be that much more invested.

6. Lastly, Make it a big dEAL

When we started our first chapter book it was a BIG DEAL in our house.  We went to the library together to check it out and turned that outing into a whole exciting outing.  I emphasized how now she was reading books like mommy and daddy read.  We set up a cozy reading spot and when we weren’t actively reading it, the book was placed in a special spot (far away from her baby sister).

Play it up however your kid best responds. But if they see how excited you are to start chapter books, they will be too.

This is an exciting new stage in their life as a reader! It should be celebrated!

If you’re looking for tips on how to choose a great chapter book that your littlest preschooler will love, along with three of our favorite series, check out my post here: Best Chapter Books for Preschoolers.

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