Literacy Lessons — 4 types of books to build your child’s library

0

Literacy Blog -- Staci Hauk Sept. 22

 

I am a mom who loves to read and write and in the words of my idol Dr. Seuss, “OH THE PLACES YOU’LL GO…” when you read a good book! When we built our new home, a key component in designing our playroom was a reading nook. I am a big believer in “we will do something if we see it every day,” so I wanted my kids to wander in there to watch tv, play with toys, and suddenly have an urge to read. It worked. Having their favorite stories so accessible made them more exciting then when they were tucked into a closet or a bookshelf.

With the help of IKEA spice racks (thank you Pinterest) and the guidance of my new business, selling Usborne children’s books, I am learning great tips on how to start and maintain a great kid’s library at home.

Here is a quick guide to picking books that will build a love for literacy:

1. Developmental books – these books can include anything that will introduce your child to the five senses, the world around them or new concepts. I include touch and feel books in this category, along with color and shape books, seek and finds and even animal sound books. For the beginning readers, any easy reader or Level 1 series of books is ideal for this category.

2. Unlimited activity books – if you travel a lot with your children, getting them a book to read about where you are headed which also includes accompanying activities (stickers, maps, tracing pages, journals) can keep them busy and engaged for hours. These books can also include dress up dolls, building a vehicle through stickers, paper airplane making or origami…anything that can keep a child’s attention through reading coupled with “doing.”

3.  Comprehensive books – remember the good ole days of Encyclopedias? Why not purchase one to add to your child’s library? It is the ideal way to encourage reading while also sparking interest in history, geography and topics they may not regularly be exposed to at a young age. Books about science or the human body, as well as question and answer books can also be considered comprehensive learning material.

4. Kid’s coloring books – I sell a vast variety of books in this genre because kids just adore being creative! Whether it’s paint by number, stenciling, stamping or copying pictures from ones that are drawn for them, these books allow kids to create stories through art which is a fantastic foundation for literacy.

It’s easy to build a library for your child by slowly adding to their existing collection with these guidelines. Make sure to keep your child’s interests in mind and have fun — selecting books that will make your child’s face light up, will be the key to their lifelong love of literacy!

____________________________________________________________________________________________

This post is sponsored by:

bike-land-150x150The Brett Saks Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, hopes  to make our Arizona communities safer for bicyclists by teaching adults and children about road safety and mutual respect between drivers and cyclists in fun and engaging ways. We are “Shifting Gears to Saves Lives,” as more than 600 cyclists are lost each year to car-bike accidents. Learn more at gearupaz.org.

 

 

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here