5 Reasons Why You Should NEVER Learn English with Children's Stories
I hear this all the time: “Oh, you’re learning English? Why don’t you read Harry Potter? It’s a kids’ book so it will be really easy!”
No, no, no – that’s really bad advice! Using children’s stories to improve your English is the worst possible method. Let me give you five reasons.
1. The Vocabulary is NOT Useful
When learning English, it’s important to learn words you will use in everyday situations. But kids’ stories are full of words that are not common in real-life English. These books often include words about imaginary things, animals or fairy tales.
This vocabulary is low-frequency, which means it is not often used. It appears rarely in spoken or written communication, and it probably never appears in adult contexts.
This language may be fun, it won’t help you in real conversations or at work.
2. The Grammar is NOT Simple
Children are native speakers. This means that even a young child can understand complex grammar, but if you’re learning English, this can be very confusing.
Here are two examples of sentences that a child would easily understand … but that are difficult for learners.
"She was just about to open the door when, all of a sudden, it vanished into thin air!"
→ This sentence includes advanced idioms (all of a sudden, vanish into thin air) and a periphrastic modal (be about to do sth). These features aren’t easy to understand or use correctly.
"If he hadn’t gone into the forest, he wouldn’t have met the talking fox."
→ This uses the third conditional to express a hypothetical situation in the past and its unrealised consequence. This is too advanced for many learners.
3. ...But the Ideas are TOO Simple
Children’s stories are written for young minds. They are simplistic… They are about talking animals, magic worlds or crazy adventures. These stories are fun for kids, but they are boring and childish for adults.
To improve your English, you need to stay motivated. But it’s hard to enjoy a story about a flying elephant or a fairy princess if it doesn’t match your interests or life experience!
As an adult, you want to read stories that reflect real life — where people are complex, choices are difficult, and things don’t always end perfectly.
4. Kids' Stories Use a Lot of Colloquial Language
Another problem with kids’ stories is that they often include a lot of slang, high-level phrasal verbs and informal language.
“I dunno!” “He’s being a pain.” Gimme a sec.” “She just zoned out!”
Kids know this kind of language in their own tongue and it can be useful for English learners too. BUT it is often too advanced. You’ll have to use a dictionary every few seconds and you’ll quickly get bored and fed up!
You must also be careful how you use this type of language. Adults use formal language at work and in some social situations so learning lots of informal language is not always useful, and it can even be embarrassing if you don’t use it appropriately.
But what if the book is for a child?
Even for children learning English, reading books for native speakers isn’t always the best option. Here is why:
- They contain complex vocabulary and grammar, which native children understand without effort but English students won’t.
- They include specific cultural references that foreign children might not understand.
- They use nonsense words (=invented words) that a child won’t be able to use in real life because other people won’t understand that vocabulary.
- The high level of difficulty means that children will give up wanting to read in English… or read at all, in any language!
There are books written for children who are also learners of English. Try those instead!
5. The Stories Do NOT Build Confidence
When you’re learning English as an adult, it’s important to feel confident. But reading children’s stories won’t help with that.
Imagine this:
You start with a kids’ book, thinking it’s easy, but soon you’ll realise that the content is too simple.
“Dog, cat, bird. One, two, three…” You get the idea.
The vocabulary, the grammar and the ideas are all aimed at children – not adults. As you read, you start telling yourself, “I’m terrible at English. I can only read kids’ books!”
Next, you try a book for older kids or teenagers. But it’s too difficult, with lots of slang, phrasal verbs, idioms, colloqualisms…
Now your confidence is lower than before!
Alright, But What Should I Read Then?
If children’s books for native speakers aren’t helpful, what’s the best option?
The answer is graded readers.
What Are Graded Readers?
Graded readers are books written by language experts especially for English learners, using exactly the right vocabulary and grammar for your level.
They help you improve your skills without being too easy or too difficult, which makes learning fun and efficient.
Unlike children’s books for native speakers, graded readers focus on topics that adults find interesting, real-life situations and useful language.
Take a Look at My Stories for Learners of English
I’ve created special versions of stories, perfect for learners like you.
You can experience stories written for adults, but with English that is the perfect level for you.
