If I find myself with in the same room as a baby or toddler, I talk constantly.I narrate everything I am doing, often throwing in the sign language that I learned when my daughter was a baby.Mom reminds me with my nephew that I should only use signs he knows.This is a good point.
Seriously, though, this is one of the best ways to build both vocabulary and narrative skills (two of the American Library Association’s identified skills for pre-reading readiness. This definitely continues as children reach preschool-age and become more verbal themselves.Check out this link from the Johnson County Library to see more: 6X6).The reason this works is that kids are hearing words used in context, and they are seeing how stories work.
Stories have:
1. 1. Sequence (one thing leading to another)
2. 2. Characters who have goals and obstacles
3. 3. A beginning, a middle, and an end
It takes a while to recognize this, but the more that kids play with books that include these elements, the more natural it will feel for them to build them into their own stories.
The title of this blog is totally academic. Really, though, the concept is simple. Trust your children to have instincts that help them build brain connections. So, don't be afraid to read your child's favorite story to him or her over, and over, and over... and over. Okay, now here's what I just said in poetic form:
I thought I'd start this blog with books that cover various concept topics which prepare kids for school. Then, one of my facebook friends mentioned how much she likes Noisy Nora by Rosemary Wells. This got the wheels in my head turning in a new direction. My undergraduate degree is in Women's Studies, and I am raising a daughter.
The following books are ones I enjoy because of the protagonists. They feature girls who proudly own their unique styles. These books also demonstrate loving family relationships. I appreciate the underlying message that people do not need to all be the same to be able to appreciate one another.
Noisy Nora by Rosemary Wells
Being a middle child isn't easy, but this adorable rhyming book gives Nora, a middle-child, her voice. This is a fun read-aloud because kids can make noise at appropriate places. When I raise my hand, the group can make a racket. (This works especially well if children have rhythm sticks or some other hand-instrument, but it can be done just with yelling, clapping, stomping, etc). However, the noise must stop as soon as I lower my hand so that they can continue hearing the story. As I wrote to my friend, self-control is a lesson best learned, like most others, when one doesn't recognize that learning is happening. :-)
Olivia by Ian Falconer
Olivia is the eldest child in her porcine family. However, she is a very human-like pig with a huge imagination. The illustrations are mostly gray-tone with some red, and the simple facial expressions are hilarious. Falconer also incorporates some photographs into the pictures. This is the first book in a series that takes Olivia to a the museum, the ballet, a fireworks display, Venice, and even the U.S. Supreme Court (in her dreams). There are other, more full-color books based on the television show that the original series spawned. However, I think these wordier stories lack the simplicity and wonder that make the Falconer books so special.
Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor/ Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
This is also the first book in a series. It is perfect for families who want something substantial for their princess-obsessed girls. Nancy enjoys all things adorned, as the humorous illustrations demonstrate.. Kids can expand their vocabularies via her explanations using context or synonyms to introduce her preferred terms. The love that her plain family shows as they try to play along with her posh preferences is touching. The later books in the series are a bit longer and therefore more appropriate to average 4-year-old and 5-year-old attention spans. The first book will work fine for most 3-year-olds, though. Plus, if your children become fans of Nancy, they can follow her adventures in early-reader books when they are ready to start reading on their own.
While this is not a post specifically about books, it describes a way to supplement one of the literacy focus skills from the last post. Plus, it occupies kids so that they have something to do other than grab candy when waiting in the grocery line.
I love when a story moves. As an auditory learner, I do my very best when I hear things. The cadence-- the flow and pause of writing-- can change it from text to poetry, from words to music.
What does this have to do with kids? Well, way before we can understand language, we can hear pitch, inflection, and phonemes (the little sounds that make up words). Being able to distinguish between sounds is a major foundation for eventually being able speak and read. Noticing tone variation helps kids put meaning to words. (Example: If you're around a dog, say "Ooh ahh ooh!" in an excited and happy voice. See if the puppy's tail wags. You get my drift).
Here are some of my favorite books for kids aged 3-5 that play with rhythm and rhyme:
I read this book by Chris Raschka to my daughter before she was even born. It doesn't have much of a plot, but its sound-play is genius. Inspired by the jazz music of Charlie "Bird" Parker, Raschka suggests varieties in how to read the rhyming text by using different fonts. I've actually performed this book for kids in-tandem with an improvising jazz band. It was fun.
Don't blame me if the refrain from this book gets stuck in your head. It happens. That means that it will happen for kids, too. So, why not get them hooked on a cute book that also happens to have all of the letters of the alphabet in it? The simple story and bright illustrations make this a real crowd-pleaser.
I admit, this was another one that I read to my kid while she was still in the womb. Seriously, if I have to listen to what I read, I may as well enjoy it. Webb uses colorful pictures of animals to aid the chant comprised of their names. Again, the rhyme and very conscious varying of syllable stresses makes this text feel as if it is in motion. I also like that some less-common animals, like the lemur, have a role to play in this plot-less poem.
