Raise Kids Who Love To Read: Improve Literacy w/ Books

This guide is to help people who have and work with children encourage the kids to love reading, resulting in a much higher level of literacy later in life. When we teach our children to love to read, we give thema gift that will enrich their lives as nothing else ever will. They will do better in school and enjoy a much richer, productive life.









November is National Children's Book Month, a great time of year to cuddle up with your child and read, read, read. The colors of autumn, the changes in temperature, the length of days--they all lend themselves to new vocabulary and ways to explore.
Before learning to read, a child needs to know what language sounds like. The different sounds of words, even from other languages, and the way a story is told will help your young child to acquire language. This happens especially in the first 3 years of life.
The most important thing to help a child acquire this lifelong love of reading is to set the example. Talkand read to your child, with normal words. Special petwords and silly words and phrases are okay as long asreal words are also used on a regular basis and "baby" words aren't encouraged all the time.
An infant learns to love his parent's and caretaker's voice. What better way to let him hear your voice than to read to him! The infant can grasp books, chew on them, sniff them, and coo back at you. It's her way of showing you her total involvement with something that is important to the both of you. The very young infant might start with cloth and soft viny cover books. Topics for the young infant should include familiar objects such as food, clothes, pets, toys, and people.
When reading to the young child, some tips to remember are:
1. Be enthusiastic about what you are reading! Children need to see that books are something to be excited about!
2. Use eye contact to draw the children into the story. Know the story beforehand so you can look directly at them and engage them more readily.
3. Use facial expressions to show the emotions of the characters. The kids will imitate your funny antics.
4. Add puppets,fingerplays, or other interactive activities to have a more inviting storytime with the kids.
As an infant gets older, board books should be added to their library. These books help encourage one of the first steps in reading-turning the pages.Some books that might be great for the young infant and older are pictured below:

Titles might include: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle; The Big Book of Beautiful Babies by David Ellwand; all the DK Touch and Feel book; books in the Baby Einstein series including Violet's House by Julie Aigner Clark and Baby Galileo the World Around Me Sky; Usborne touchy feely books including That's Not My Puppy and That's Not My Train; and Peek-A Boo Lizzy Lou! by Lauren Attinello.
Whena child is around 18 months old or so,reading is so much more interactive. They will turn the pages, point to pictures, and repeat silly repetitive phrases. Toddlers learn about feelings, growing up, and values by reading books. They lovebooks with the surprise pictures behind the flaps. Pop up books are not regemended for this age, as most of the pop ups will be demolished in the first or second sitting!
Some flapbooks that would be great for the 18 month through about3 years ofage are pictured below:









Titles are: Happy Days Pooh by Sarah Willson; Tonka Look Inside Trucks by PatriciaRelf; The Cat In The Hat's Great Big Flap Book by Dr. Seuss; Dinosaur Giant Match The Flaps byJulie Michaels; Peekaboo Farm by Annie Ingle; Disney's Tarzan Jungle Adventure by Liane Onish; Arthur Goes to School by Marc Brown; Teletubbies Play Hide And Seek from Ragdoll Productions; Fisher Price My Little People School Bus by Doris Tomaselli; Fisher Price Little People Cars, Truck, Planes, and Trains by Nancy L. Rindone.
Older toddlers love books about themselves and their families. They like being able to recite a predictable phraseevery time it gees up. They are beginning to be able to rhyme and reason. And they are getting into the terrible twos! Some books that are great for older toddlers (2 and 3 years old) and their caretakers are pictured below:









Titles are: Red and Blue and Pooh Shapes, Too from Rocket Books, Inc.; The Cheerios Play Book by Lee Wade; The Napping House by Audrey Wood; Teeth Are Not For Biting by Elizabeth Verdick; No Biting by Karen Katz; Hands Are Not For Hitting by Martine Agassi; We're Going On A Bear Hunt by Rosen/Oxenbury; The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown; Duck In The Truck by Jez Alborough; Do's And Don'tsand The Okay Book, both by Todd Parr; Five Little Monkeys Jumping on a Bed by Eileen Christelow; I Spy Little Book by Jean Marzollo; andHere Are My Hands by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault.
As a child learns how a story works, so his skills improve. He is able to hold a book right side up, turn to the front of the book to begin, turn the pages at the right time as the story is being read, point to words when they are being read, and pick out a favorite book from among many. He likes to read the same book over and over, repeat Mother Goose rhymes by heart; look at large,clear realistic pictures; and name objects in books and magazines.
Some of the books great for older preschoolers are pictured below:









Titles are: The Usborne Book of Farmyard Tales by Heather Amery; The Wide Mouthed Frog by Keith Faulkner (pictured with some puppets the kids LOVE to act out the story with!); The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn; The M