“The more you read, the better you get at it; the better you get at it, the more you like it;
and the more you like it, the more you do it.
And the more you read, the more you know;
and the more you know, the smarter you grow.”
Jim Trelease
(author of The Read-Aloud Handbook)
Parents always ask me "What is the best thing I can do at home with my child to support their learning at school?" The answer is always, you guessed it; "Read to your child...regularly"
Jim Trelease, who has written a book about reading aloud to children, has a special message for Dads on this subject. Check his website here: http://trelease-on-reading.com/rah-ch9-pg2.html
"So many books! So little time!"
There are just so many types of books that are powerful for your young learners; including non-fiction, read-aloud books, picture books, ABC and number books, and books with word play that help with those early skills of rhyming, predicting, memorizing, phonological awareness, and rhythm. We include a great variety of books in our curriculum and classroom, each for their own reason.
First, it is important to introduce students to quality stories with engaging illustrations. Read-aloud stories and picture books are children's first writing teachers! They know it's a good story because it engages them, makes them laugh, and "pulls them in.' We know they are learning story structure, character development, and other story elements that will help them create their own stories later on. If you are looking for suggestions for excellent stories for your children, check out these great lists:
Top 100 Books of all
time
http://childrensbooksguide.com/top-100
(This website also has great lists for each age group, like "best books for 3 year olds")
Caldecott Medal Winners (For
outstanding illustrations)
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/311.Caldecott_Medal_Winners
"Just WHAT did you do at school today?"
Much of my teaching will be centered around specific books, authors, or illustrators, as part of an integrated curriculum. These books will usually be listed on my Classroom News if you want to check them out! That way you can go to your neighborhood library and borrow them! This can really expand and extend the interest and comprehension on a subject that has begun at school. Also, young children often love the comfort of reading their same familiar books over and over (and over!) again! This is very common and a natural stage of both childhood and learning to read.
"I just can't get my three year old to stay focused for story!"
Sometimes finding appropriate books for our youngest learners can often be challenging, especially if they are also dealing with attention or language challenges. I will be compiling lists of old and new favorites that have been proven to keep the interest of our youngest learners.
Best books for 3 year olds:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/837
Word Play!
Repetitive Books provide a structure that is predictable to the child, which provides them not only with a sense of reassurance, but allows them to engage with the story more easily. Many predictable and repetitive books, besides teaching a concept like colors, lend themselves beautifully to giving the listener a "job" in helping to read the story. Often children recognize the repetitive nature very quickly and will independently join in at the appropriate time! Because the text is simpler, it is also easier for students to stay focused and engaged with the book! Although a natural asset and part of early literacy development, some of these books are especially beneficial for students with language difficulties.
See Repetitive Books: An Effective Therapeutic Strategy for Children Diagnosed with Apraxia of Speech (just click on the text) for a more in-depth discussion on that!
And last, but certainly not least... repetitive books are just plain fun to read with young children!
