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I am convinced that requiring my children to read classic books has been the best thing I’ve done for them, by far.
Reading the classics has brought about the following results in my children:
*strong vocabulary and spelling skills
*correct pronunciation of words
*strong reading comprehension skills
*high achievement test scores
*improved writing ability
Reading classic literature will challenge your child. While reading, he may come across new words. If he doesn’t know what the words mean, that’s okay. He will learn to use context to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words or he can always stop and look up the definition in a dictionary.
How do you know if books are classics? Here are some qualifications of true classics:
*Classic books remain popular for many years. (30+ years)
*Classic books are well-written, valuable and traditional.
*Classic books have interesting characters and universal themes.
*Classic books appeal to a large number of people.
*Classic books offer wisdom and present timeless life lessons.
I have compiled a list of books that I believe are classics. I have categorized them by general grade levels for convenience.
If your child prefers to listen to the classics instead of reading them, Blackstone Audio sells many audio classics.
AudioBooksForFree.com and BooksShouldBeFree.com both have a wide selection of classics.
Amazon.com has many free classics for kindle.
