Many of our products encourage regular reading and identify books for you to try at home or in the classroom. The Children’s Authors of Color ABCs identifies an author and one of their picture books on each card. For example, E is for Eric Valasquez and the suggested book to read is Octopus Stew. Reading children’s books is a great way to be introduced to different cultural traditions. Our Holidays & Celebrations Memory Matching game identifies various celebrations from around the world and includes a booklet with a brief description and suggested book title. The information provided on the celebration Ganesh Chaturthi includes the suggested picture book Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth by Sanjay Patel. These are just a couple of the many examples of suggested reading we provide to help you identify new books to read, especially those that offer different cultural perspectives.
Now that you know where to get some additional book suggestions, how do you help your child to be more engaged with the book you are reading together? Well, we don’t have to simply read the words to gain meaning of a story. Instead, try the 3 ways to read a book! Learning to use all three ways to read a book can hep children to gain understanding when of the story.
- Read The Words – This is the most traditional way to read a story and what most people are familiar with. The words tell the story as the author envisioned. Reading the words exposes children to a variety of words, expanding their vocabulary. They are also able to practice literacy strategies introduced in their classroom.
- Read The Pictures – Pictures are truly worth a thousand words and can tell as much as words in many books. Comic books and graphic novels are fantastic examples of using imagery to portray the scenery and descriptive text of a story. However, the images in children’s picture books serve the same purpose Have your child use the pictures in the book and describe what is going on. Encourage them to use context clues to help describe a more complete story. This is also a great way to appreciate the artistry of the book’s illustrator!
- Retell The Story – Children love to read and re-read, picking up books that are familiar. These favorites become easier to read as the child is already familiar with the story. Have your child retell the story from what they remember about it, in their own words. It doesn’t need to be verbatim or 100% accurate, just what they remember. This will help to practice paraphrasing skills such as recalling key details, understanding text structures and making inferences, and synthesizing the main idea.
Want to encourage the 3 ways to read in your classroom or child’s playroom? Make sure to checkout our 3 Ways To Read poster! Remember, children who are encouraged and supported at home develop a genuine interest in and love for reading. It doesn’t have to be a chore but instead a fun endeavor for you both.
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