Monday, May 19, 2014

Reading Recommendations for Your Little One!

Learning how to read is one of the most important skills a child will learn and master in their childhood.  Students are introduced to the ABCs from infancy, and letter recognition begins as early as their toddler years.  As crucial as reading is to every child’s education, the good news is it doesn’t have to be a painful process by any means.  There are many ways to ensure a fun time while learning how to read!

Follow your child’s interests!  Provide them with a wide range of choices– different genres and different authors for instance, and allow them to decide what captures their attention.  One of the greatest things about reading is that there are books that cater to any and all interests.  A few great places to start is to search for lists of award-winning books, pick books with accompanying songs (We’re Going On A Bear Hunt or Five Little Monkeys, for instance), and/or pick books that are adaptations to your child’s favorite Disney or Pixar movie.

Knowing how to sound out words is just the beginning– reading is only meaningful if the reader understands what he/she is reading.  Books that are rich in illustrations help facilitate better understanding.  Students start creating their own versions of stories by looking at pictures long before they can comfortably read on their own.  Additionally, parents and teachers alike can boost comprehension exponentially by reading with young readers and encouraging them to discuss, ask questions, act out parts of the story, make connections, and/or even do art projects.

Reading has a plethora of benefits.  Even as toddlers, parents and teachers can use books to teach life lessons and social skills.  Children learn about manners, courtesy, friendship, the unconditional love of their parents, and much more at a very young age in this way.

Language arts and reading are integral parts of a preschooler’s day and its significance will continue to grow throughout their schooling years.  Parents can get involved and play a crucial role in students’ learning by making reading an important part of their lives at home as well.


This is a condensed sample of books that are recommended by Scholastic and Barnes & Noble.  These are also books that are commonly read here at our school.  Feel free to use it as a starting point to build your own home library!
Rumble In The Jungle by Giles Andreae
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. & John Archambault
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
Curious George by HA Rey
Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Suess

-Emily Lian, 
Education Specialist 

No comments:

Post a Comment