Selecting Books for the Very Young

Spur Curiosity with Books

The word is getting out on how important it is to read to young children from birth.  Parents and grandparents can be seen adding books to diaper and toy bags. 

Since the world of children’s books is unlimited, how can we develop an early childhood library that includes a wide range of children’s books?  
Selecting Books
When selecting books for very young children, it is important to keep the child’s developmental level and interests in mind. For infants, choose books with simple, large pictures or designs in bright colors.  Include some cloth, cardboard or washable books with pictures of people or familiar objects.  Add small hand held photo albums with pictures of family and friends in the plastic sleeves. Proceed to books that tell simple stories with few words and colorful illustrations for toddlers.
Rapid Word Growth
  During this period of rapid language development, there is a great interest in words, rhymes, and repetition.  Children will enjoy participating by naming, touching, repeating phrases, and retelling stories. It’s a good time to read nursery rhymes, fairy tales and classics such as “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”, alphabet, and number books.  Be sure to choose books that can be read in one setting due to the short attention span. 

Open Young Minds with Reading

Young children are curious about the world around them.  They enjoy stories about everyday experiences, pets, toys, home, and people in their environment.  They like to be part of the story so you may substitute the child’s name for one of the main characters.
Playtime Books
  This is also an age for enjoyment of imaginative play.  Look for books in which animals or machines such as trains have a voice.
  Preschoolers build concepts through experience.  This is a delightful time to learn about colors and shapes, the senses of seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting.

Books Help Introduce New Experiences

Look for books in the areas of science, math and art.
  As children grow, they are learning about the larger world.  Look for titles about people from other countries or cultures. Books can also help with fear of new experiences such as making friends or going to school. Berenstain Bears books are good inexpensive examples.
  Children seek warmth and security in their relationships with adults.  So snuggle up together or have children sit in your lap as you read.  Be sure to allow your children to select books based on their own individual interests.  It is OK to read books suggested for older children.  Your children’s listening level is well above their actual reading level.
  Your children’s librarian and independent bookstore are excellent resources for what is new in the world of children’s literature. Also check out Jim Trelease’s Read Aloud Handbook or go to his website http://www.trelease-on-reading.com
Photos, Fran Darling, fdarling fotos

More Ideas and Activities....See the authors’ book “Learning Through the Seasons” at area bookstores and grandparentsteachtoo.org. For more help to prepare young children for success in school see the authors’ web site: www.grandparentsteachtoo.org. Also check our audio Podcasts WNMU Radio 90; Youtube video activities; and join us on Pinterest

Activities That Prepare Children to Read

Vigorous physical activity is a big part of each day to keep young children healthy, but adults need to plan for quiet activities too.   While some limited TV time is OK, what are some other quiet easily managed activities you can set up? For more fall activities to help your children succeed in school and have a life time of learning see the authors’ book Learning Through the Seasons in museums, bookstores, and in E-book form atSmashwords.com. 

Materials Needed:  magazines, paper, crayons, markers, scissors, paint set, Q’tips, yarn, water, small rocks, white glue, 

What To Do:

Reading

 The number one priority is reading, reading, and reading!  Read to children several times every day and visit the library to check out books and attend free library programs. Children’s non-fiction books, also known as “true books,” are filled with pictures, new vocabulary and fascinating facts. They prepare young children to become curious, enthusiastic readers and lifelong learners who continue the search for information. Listen to this WNMU Public Radio 90 Podcast to find out about your library resources and many other ideas and activities to use when reading non-fiction to help your children learn and prepare them for reading.

Painting with Water

   Take a science walk and collect rocks of various colors, sizes, and shapes. At home, set your children up with a waterproof area and provide a small paintbrush or Q’tip and a bowl of water to help build up the small muscles of their hands. These muscles must be strong to print letters.  Show how to “paint” the rocks with water and notice how the color shows up like magic.  

 Pet Rocks 

   Help children use permanent markers to draw a face on the surface of favorite large rocks. Help them glue on a little yarn to make hair. Teach a dot of glue does a lot. Teachers will love you. Can you think of a good name for each? Place the rock on your table, desk, bookcase, or garden.

Crayon Resist

  Use a crayon on paper to carefully print your young children’s names in big letters.   Use a capital for the first letter and lower case for the following letters.  Then use water with a little paint color to make a wash over the whole sheet.  The name will stand out and be a perfect door decoration or book cover for a whole series of pictures.  Use dots or dashes to outline names. Show children how to start at the top of each letter to correctly follow the dots to print their names. Praise what they can do. They’ll try their best.

 Favorite Pictures  

  Using old grocery fliers and magazines, help children choose and cut out pictures of favorite flowers, fruits, animals, vegetables, and toys.  Print each blank paper with a picture title, for example:” My Favorite Fruits.”  Let the kids cut, sort and paste the pictures.  Talk with children about choices and use a marker to print the name of each item. This is a good activity to practice letters and beginning sounds of each word.  Very young children should work on only one category at a time. All these activities encourage creativity, build vocabulary and make the connection between reading and writing.

Photos by: 

Hall, Donna. ddc598.jpg. May 2008. Pics4Learning. 14 Jan 2013 http://pics.tech4learning.com

Hall, Donna. ddc599.jpg. May 2008. Pics4Learning. 14 Jan 2013 http://pics.tech4learning.com

Hall, Donna. ddc567.jpg. May 2008. Pics4Learning. 14 Jan 2013 http://pics.tech4learning.com