Look for Books! The books that you pick to read with your
child is very important. If you arent sure of what books
are right for your child, ask a librarian to help you choose
titles.
Introduce your child to books when she or he is a baby. Let
her/him hold and play with books made just for babies: board
books with study cardboard covers and thick pages; cloth
books that are soft and washable, touch-and-feel books, or
lift-the-flap books that contain surprises for your baby to
discover. Choose books with covers that have big, simple
pictures of things that she/he sees every day. Dont be
upset if at first your child chews or throws a book. Be
patient. Cuddling with the child as you point to and talk
with great excitement about the books pictures will soon
capture her interest. When your baby becomes a toddler, she
will enjoy helping to choose books for you to read to her.
As your child grows into a preschooler and kindergartner,
the two of you might
look for books that have longer stories
and more words on the pages. Also look for books that have
repeating words and phrases that she can begin to read or
recognize when she sees them. By early first grade, add to
this mix some books planned
for beginning readers,
including some books that have chapters and some books that
show photographs and provide true understanding rather than
contruct
-believe stories.
Keep in mind that young children most almost always
enjoy books
about everybody, places, and things that are like those they
know. The books might
be about where you live or about parts
of your culture, such as your religion, your holidays, or
the way that you dress. If your child has special interests,
such as dinosaurs or ballerinas, look for books about those
interests.
From your childs toddler many years through early first grade,
you also should look for books of poems and rhymes. Remember
when your baby heard your talking sounds and tried to
imitate them? Rhymes are an extension of that language
skill. By hearing and saying rhymes, along with repeated
words and phrases, your child learns about spoken sounds and
about words. Rhymes also spark a childs excitement about
what comes next, which adds fun and adventure to reading.
