Having your child say a repeating phrase with you throughout the book keeps him or her involved. For example, in Snip Snap!: What’s That? by Mara Bergman, each time you ask, “Were the children scared?” your child can answer, “You bet they were!” This is one way you support print motivation.
–Tip by Barb M., Youth Programming and Outreach Assistant
In the story Dog’s Colorful Day: A Messy Story About Colors and Counting by Emma Dodd, each time dog gets another spot of color it is accompanied by a sound like “Swish” or “Splurt.” Have your child make these sounds with you as you read. Having children hear and make different sounds like this helps them to be able to play with the different sounds of the English language and will help them later when they are trying to sound out words to read. This is part of the skill of phonological awareness.
–Tip by Erin E., Youth Programming Coordinator
I Could Be, You Could Be by Karen Owen will help spark your child’s imagination as it talks about becoming various people and things, from astronauts to elephants. This kind of role play helps your child develop the narrative skill. In the back of the book there are ideas about how to create masks and other items for make-believe play.
–Tip by Barb M., Youth Programming and Outreach Assistant
Reading any book can teach your child letter knowledge. Before you read a book together, ask your child to pick a letter. Draw the letter together and practice making its sound. Then as you read the story, have your child find words that contain that letter.
–Tip by Mary S., Youth Services Department Head
Fall Mixed Up by Bob Raczka is a great book for practicing vocabulary because there are “mistakes” on every page, which are both in the words and in the illustrations. Kids should be able to recognize what is wrong and figure out how to fix it. You can read the book through once without stopping (and wait for the kids to start telling you what is wrong), and then go back through and “correct” the mistakes. Reviewing the parts of the story will reinforce vocabulary.
–Tip by Erin E., Youth Programming Coordinator
Giggle, Giggle, Quack by Doreen Cronin is a book where writing is important to the story. You can have your child draw pictures and “write” lists or notes to someone else. This helps them develop their print awareness skill.
–Tip by Barb M., Youth Programming and Outreach Assistant
Many young children love books about true things. Following your child’s interests helps develop print motivation—interest in and enjoyment of books and reading. We have non-fiction books for preschoolers on almost every topic, but they aren’t with the picture books; they are interfiled with the non-fiction books for older kids.
–Tip by Brad J., Youth Technology Librarian
Kids love to talk about what they are wearing or doing. Let’s Play in the Forest While the Wolf Is Not Around by Claudia Rueda is a great story where the big bad wolf is getting dressed. You can name items of clothing and colors in the story with your child and talk about what the wolf is doing to help build vocabulary. Then do the same when your child is getting dressed. An expansive vocabulary will help your child later as they try to understand what they read.
–Tip by Brad J., Youth Technology Librarian
One way to teach your child narrative skill is to read a book, such as Overboard! by Sarah Weeks, that has a repetitive refrain. If your child is talking, you might even want to have him or her say the refrain “overboard” with you as you read.
–Tip by Mary S., Head of Youth Services
Children actually start learning about letters before they even know the alphabet. Letter knowledge means knowing that letters are different from each other and that the same letter can look different ways (such as upper and lower case), as well as knowing that letters relate to sounds. Focus on the first letter in your child’s name—talk about its shape, how it looks in upper and lower case, and what sound(s) it makes. And remember to have fun!
–Tip by Brad J., Youth Technology Librarian
