BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS!
HOW TO ENGAGE YOUR CHILD
BY MELISSA
Exposure to books is one of the most important factors in development of vocabulary and learning to read which becomes the basis for learning in school. One public school teacher put it this way: ‘ In kindergarten to third grade children learn to read, from 4th grade on they read to learn’. Some kids just don’t love books; they don’t gravitate to them, would rarely choose them on their own and it’s even hard to keep their attention when a favorite adult reads to them.
Here is some information about types of books to help engage your child and promote a love of books:
Song Stories
Picture books that are songs draw children in initially with music. Children will often join in singing a familiar song. The purpose of the book is to provide illustrations for the lyrics. Song stories are great for children who hardly ever gravitate to books because they experience them as music. You may feel shy about singing a book but don’t worry children love to hear their adults sing and they don’t judge the quality of our singing voices!
A song book from a previous post:
The More We Get Together (4/16)
Over in the Meadow: An Old Counting Rhyme:
Acting Out a Favorite Story
Many stories are just plain fun to act out!. Some explicitly invite acting out and each ‘part’ can be acted out by everyone. Others have more of a plot and are best divided into parts played by different people. Many give children permission to act out feelings. Monster stories are favorites as they allow children to be monsters within the context of the story. All promote self expression. Acting out stories is great for children who have a hard time sitting still for a book or don’t gravitate towards books because they are active.
Some fun books to act out that can be found on previous posts:
Where the Wild Things Are (4/8)
The Three Billy Goats Gruff (4/23)
Pretend You’re a Cat by Jean Marzollo:
Stories with No Words
Books with no words use the illustrations to tell the story. The illustrations may be very simple for younger children or very elaborate with many details for older children. Babies and younger toddlers love looking at faces; many wordless books for this age are books with faces depicting a range of emotions or books with animals. Wordless books help children build their vocabulary, their observation skills and make connections. They offer an open ended, child-directed approach to exploring books. When reading wordless books with children ask questions:
What do you notice/see?
What is … [character] doing?
Why do you think they are doing that?
How do you think they might be feeling?
What you think is happening?
What might happen next?
When reading with younger children, point out your observations in the illustrations.
Wordless book from a previous post:
My Face Book (4/9)
Rain by Peter Spier:
Books about Life Experience using Animals
Children are often drawn to books with animals as the main character personified and experiencing some aspect of life. They add an element of humor to the story as children wonder if the animal really behaves in a particular way or has an experience. They are wonderful tools for helping children process various experiences in life that can be confusing because the child is one step removed from the animal in the story. They are particularly great for processing feelings and transitions. Kevin Henkes, an author, has written many we love at BCS.
Kevin Henkes book from a previous blog post:
Wemberly Worried (4/29)
General
Here are some general things to help build interest and engagement in books:
Subject Specific Books
Seek out books about things your child is interested in or excited about. The library is a great resource. Burlington Fletcher Free Library has an online system for searching and reserving books with a subject search. Virginia Lee Burton, an author, understood the value in books about things that interest children when in the 1940s she had two children who did not enjoy books. She realized there were not many, if any, written about the things her sons were excited about so she wrote several about vehicles and a house that ‘moves’ to the city. Children who don’t normally seek books are drawn in by a subject that excites them.
Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton (audio):
Reading with pets, stuffed animals or dolls integrates books and dramatic play. Children may browse books with a special lovie or pet.
Melissa’s daughter, Emma, frequently read to family dog, Marta.
Emma reading to her babies.
Having a quiet book time in bed before lights out with a stack of books allows your child to browse books independently at their own pace and experience the calming effect of books as they regulate and get ready to fall asleep. Books at bedtime reinforces positive relationship with books, eases the bedtime transition and supports interests in books
Emma continued this tradition for years.
Some other BCS teachers and loved ones enjoying books!
Sheila’s daughters read together when they were younger!
Natalie’s big sister reads to her in their favorite rocking chair.
VELS:
All Ages:
COMMUNICATION AND EXPRESSION – LITERACY DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION READING SKILLS Goal 1: Children develop the foundational skills needed for engaging with print, reading and writing.
COMMUNICATION AND EXPRESSION – CREATIVE ARTS AND EXPRESSION MUSIC
Goal 1: Children engage in making and listening to music as a vehicle for expression and learning.
COMMUNICATION AND EXPRESSION – CREATIVE ARTS AND EXPRESSION THEATRE Goal 1: Children engage in dramatic play and theatre as a way to represent real-life experiences, communicate their ideas and feelings, learn, and use their imaginations.
DEVELOPING SELF-APPROACHES TO LEARNING INITIATIVE Goal 1: Children show curiosity about the world around them
BABY PLAY
READ BY KATLYN
ART in PLACE: Social Distancing in the Studio
“Welcome to The Eric Carle Museum’s first online exhibition, ART in PLACE: Social Distancing in the Studio, organized while the Museum remains shuttered due to the pandemic. We asked 21 picture-book artists, isolating in studios around the world, to share their most recent work with us. We were curious to know how creativity is sustaining them during these long and worrisome days. It is our hope that their art will provide comfort to you too, and even spark your own creativity.
Science will get us out of this. Art will get us through this.”
Follow the link below:
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