This is a guest post by Tonya Wright. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here.
10 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Book for Your Preschooler
Unless you are looking for a specific book, walking into the local bookstore or neighborhood library can be overwhelming if you have no idea where to begin! Preschoolers are vastly different from the toddlers they once were. Younger children are quite happy with books that have simplistic illustrations and minimal text. Somewhere around the age of three, and sometimes around the age of two-and-a-half, children began to crave more sophisticated literacy experiences. Here are a few questions to ask yourself as you are wandering aimlessly amid rows and rows of books!
1. Are the illustrations appropriate, engaging, and relevant? Young children are understandably drawn to pictures before text, so choose books that have photographs or illustrations that depict emotion and/or activity. See if the illustrations reflect and enhance the text. Also, ensure that the illustrations are appropriate and reflect the values you want to instill. For example, some of the Curious George books, depict smoking. That is not to say that you have to avoid Curious George books, (I happen to like the little guy) but whenever you select a book, you should be informed about what you are purchasing.
2. Are the text and the illustrations bias-free? Look for books that fairly depict children of all races, ethnic backgrounds, and abilities. Select books that do not perpetuate gender stereotypes. For example, in books about community helpers are the women depicted to be teachers and nurses while the men are depicted as fireMEN and policeMEN?
3. Is the text appropriate for my child’s developmental level? You want to choose books that have words that preschoolers can understand, but you also want to provide children with opportunities to learn new words as well. Preschoolers also like text that is predictable, rhythmic, and easy to memorize. And don’t be afraid to choose books that have NO WORDS! Wordless books offer great opportunities to create new stories over and over again!
4. Does the story inspire the imagination? Young children enjoy pretending; imaginary play is an important part of cognitive growth and development. Choose books that encourage children to think or imagine beyond the pages of the book.
5. Do you as the adult find the book interesting? As adults we often unconsciously pass on our own fears, likes, and dislikes onto children. Sometimes it is ok to choose books that YOU enjoyed as a child. Passing on your excitement and love for reading is a good thing!
6. Will your child be interested in the subject? Preschoolers enjoy books that describe experiences to which they can relate or ideas that they can imagine. Books about going to school, visiting relatives, or taking trips are relatable subjects for many young children. If your child has a particular interest, such as cars or horses, choose books on that subject. In addition, use books to expose your child to new subjects that they might not otherwise experience!
7. Does the book encourage interaction? Although not every book will be interactive, it’s a good idea to choose some that are. Books that encourage your child to follow directions, search for a hidden object, open/close flaps, or perform other actions help children to understand that reading is not a passive activity!
8. What is the purpose of the book? Select a variety of books that serve a variety of purposes. Some books are humorous, others are meant to teach a concept or moral lesson. Other books are written to give children information about various subjects and other books help.
9. Is this a non-fiction book, and if so, is it accurate? Preschoolers have a funny little obsession with they word WHY! Young children are natural scientists who have an innate desire to learn about the world around them. Encourage this trait by selecting books that will expand children’s knowledge about their world. When choosing non-fiction books such as biographies or informational books, do your best to ensure that you are selecting books that are easily understandable and accurate.
10. Will my child want to read this book more than once? Think of choosing a book as an investment. When you invest in a new car or a new couch, you plan on using those items over and over again. Think of a book the same way! When your preschooler asks to read his favorite book for the 100th time, realize that children learn with repeated exposure. So choose books that you and your child will want to read over and over.
Tonya Wright has over twenty years of experience in the field of early childhood education. She has taught preschool, pre-kindergarten, and kindergarten. She has professional interests in Reggio Emilia, the project approach and the RIE approach and has a deep passion for early learning with a special interest in language and literacy. Tonya’s undergraduate work is in Early Childhood Education and Psychology and received her Masters Degree in Educational Technology. Tonya has been published in various national, state, and local teacher magazines and newsletters. She is a member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Recently Tonya began her Room to Grow blog and she also writes for Literacy Connections.
One of those things I heard and now utter myself. In order to use your imagination you have to have one. So how do you get an imagination? One way we like to start is with books.
Just letting your kids browse is a great thing to do. Whenever you can, especially rainy days or snow days when you’re feeling like curling up with a book anyway. Wrap everyone up and head to the local bookshop or library.
One thing I love is to receive books for the kids from other people. Other people choose the best books. We all have our own likes and ones we gravitate towards, favourite authors and publishers. Other people give us a gift as we bring these new books into the family.
Having thumbed through it myself I thought it would be fun not to say much about it but give it to the two older children.
You choose is a series of pictures on the page. You choose what you need from each page to make up your story. You can live in the country and the city, farm or lighthouse. The point is…………..You Choose. Each page is full of huge range of objects and places. We have silly stories as well as serious ones. For the child that is not reading this is a lovely way they can make up a story based on the mechanics they already know from listening to stories. Those learning to read here is a fun way of ‘reading’ a story without the pressure. We have great opportunities for read aloud storytelling sessions using voices and everything.
Mixed up Fairy tales is an excellent flip through book. We have a treasury book of fairy tales that we go through. They love to hear the same stories over and over. The mixed up fairy tales gives them a chance to play with the stories by randomly flipping the flaps and mix and matching the story. The biggest fun so far is trying to give a new title to the story.
Reading is a pleasure when it is fun. If you enjoy a book you’re likely to try another. There are plenty of funny books that appeal to the little ones. We like these two because we get to play around with stories. Something we don’t usually do. It feels special to mix them up and make something up that is totally mine. They have the scaffold of the familiar tale or the objects and places they see but what they produce is totally theirs……….they get to use their imagination.
I see that teddy, the LO, the dog and anyone within range is ordered to sit down while the MO or the BG read them a story. To see little boys reading, laughing and trying another version over and over again is always worth seeing.
What books do you recommend that are short on words but encourage you to make up stories from what you see?
I was reading Kidlutions:Cultivating Gratitude in Our Children… and loving all the ideas about raising a child with gratitude. It got me thinking about Thanksgiving, being thankful for the many blessing we have along with Christmas time when we get overwhelmed by generosity that we often times forget to be grateful and show gratitude.
Wendy shares many simple and effective ways to encourage gratitude that are practical and you can do today with our kids. I especially like her 3rd item. A physical representation of gratitude shows gratitude in a whole new way.
At this time of year it’s all a bit overwhelming with planning and organising for the holiday times. For those that planned early there is much reward but it never stops the ‘I want that….” whines from the kids as we take them around the stores. Finding time to talk to them about being grateful for what you’ve got is never the right time with Christmas music and a busy store. We come across as snappy and irritated and they come off as ungrateful, especially because you know how much you’ve already spent on their presents. It’s hard to get perspective.
It’s a hard time.
But the best time.
Well maybe not in the store but it’s a good season to talk about being grateful.
Watching this DVD together gives us a chance to talk about getting……..’ so much stuff.’ without being too preachy. Of course if you then go out and get lots of stuff you surely defeat the object.
We like it because it gives us a chance to talk about buying things while we are away from the stores. …..”Remember Madam Blueberry” is another line to add to the arsenal when we’re at the stores. It’s easier to talk about the characters and the children relate.
Toys, games and books that are simple enough to inspire the child to do more than one thing are the type of play activities we like to encourage. I’m not talking about the toys with all the bells and whistles. We have some of those but the ones I really like to have out and encourage are the ones that the kids get to be in charge.
Muddle farm is one of these toys/books in our family.This particular Muddle Farm is well loved.
Muddle Farm: A Magnetic Play Book is an interactive storybook. The animals stick to the page and peel off. Not like stickers more like a magnet. There is a partial story with questions on each double page. But what I like the most about Muddle farm is that the kids can make up any story they want.
It’s great for pretend play and exploring language.
For the toddlers and babies, they love to make the sounds of the animals. We can work with them or they can play by themselves.
There’s something exciting to a preschooler and toddler to be able to make their own story.
This is one of those books we don’t have out all the time. It seems to hold its appeal when you take it out occasionally.
It is a great grab and go book for the Doctor or Dentist’s office or church service.
What magnetic or interactive play books do you like?
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books, (I happen to like the little guy) but whenever you select a book, you should be informed about what you are purchasing.
. See the Trailer below.
is an interactive storybook. The animals stick to the page and peel off. Not like stickers more like a magnet. There is a partial story with questions on each double page. But what I like the most about Muddle farm is that the kids can make up any story they want.
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