Research shows that young English language learners can do better in reading comprehension when exposed to culturally relevant books. Here are four great examples:

The Name Jar

Having just moved from Korea, Unhei is anxious that American kids won’t like her. Her new classmates decide to help her choose a new name by filling a glass jar with names for her to pick from. But they then discover her real name and its special meaning. Encouraged by her new friends, Unhei finally chooses her own Korean name.

Chocolate Milk, Por Favor!

Gabe doesn’t speak any English. His classmates learn how to communicate with him through sports, food, and play. Chocolate milk ( Gabe’s favorite drink ) is a symbol in this heartwarming story about the importance of making friends and the power of kindness when they are working to overcome the language barrier (障碍).

Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match

“My name is Marisol McDonald, and I don’t match.” No one would dare stop Marisol from being her own unique self. She redefines what it means to be a Peruvian-Scottish-American. Well-known author Monica Brown wrote this lively story to bring her own experience of being mismatched to life.

Jalapeno Bagels

Pablo has a difficult time deciding what food to take to school for International Day because his parents are of different races and cultures and there are many choices. This warm story comes complete with recipes for all the items that Pablo helps his parents make.

Reading is an important skill that is necessary for success in many areas of life,including study, work, and personal life. By helping kids form good reading habits, you’re helping them more likely to be successful in the future. Kids can start developing good reading habits at home even before they learn to read.【小题1】

Make reading a daily habit.【小题2】Make reading a habit by sharing a book with your child before bedtime. Babies respond to the comforting rhythm (节奏) of a voice reading aloud.

【小题3】Your reading space doesn’t have to be big or have a lot of bookshelves. It can be a corner of the sofa or a chair in the room where your child sleeps. Picking a comfortable place that has enough light and room to keep a book or two can help your child connect reading with coziness and comfort.

Take trips to the library. As your child grows up, the library is a great resource for exploring new books and authors for free. Many libraries also have story hours or other literacy programs for kids. Trips to the library give your child a chance to develop good reading habits.【小题4】

Let your child pick what to read. That trip to the library can be extra special when you give your child time to look around and explore.【小题5】, so just give your kids the freedom to pick out their books.

I’m in middle school, and not that good at reading. I am a little behind and hate the books we are made to read. But I want to get better at reading. I don’t like being the weakest reader in the class. I want to change. I know I need help when it comes to reading. I’m hopeful that I can overcome (克服) my weakness if I try to find some ways and work hard.

So I go to the library every weekend. Last Saturday I went straight to the Young Adult section to search. There were hundreds of books to choose from. Finally, I saw a cover that was shiny, and it reflected (反射) the light and caught my eye. I saw that it was blue — I liked blue. So I picked it up and read the back. It sounded interesting, although it was the second book in the series, I got it. I read that book in two days, and found it was so attractive, so I read the whole series in a week.

By judging (判断) a book by its cover, I was not only able to pick up a book that became one of my favourites, but I also didn’t have to pick up hundreds of books that I may not like. If I never judged a book by its cover, I might have never found that book in the first place.

This advice is suitable for other things in life as well, especially when it comes to people. It’s not always exact, but by judging a person by their appearance — the way they dress, talk, and act — you can quickly see if you want to read their general condition by having a conversation with them. If you enjoy them like you enjoy a good book, then you can keep them in your inner circle — the people that you care about and who care about you.