Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Picture Books

Picture books are a wonderful way to fill a child’s head with imaginative thoughts as well as filling their head with literacy knowledge. Picking out good literature for children is an important aspect of creating a meaningful literacy journey. Books should be age appropriate for the children in your classroom. You should find books that appeal to the children’s interest within your classroom. Having a variety of books in your classroom is important. Fictional and non-fiction books should both be represented in your classroom. Having books that add a sensory effect is important. Books that babies and children can feel, smell, hear, or even chew on can connect children to the books they are reading.

 Here are some books that have a sensory effect to them:

-Squishy Turtle and Friends (Cloth Books) 
-Roger Priddy (Author)

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-Scratch and Sniff: Garden
-DK Publishing (Author)


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-Ultimate Bug Book (Pop-up with Sound)
-Golden Books (Author)

Ultimate Bug Book (Pop-up with Sound) 











That's Not My Puppy (Usborne Touchy-Feely Board Books) 
Fiona Watt and Racheal Wells (Authors)


That's Not My Puppy (Usborne Touchy-Feely Board Books) 


















There are different strategies you can do with a child before you read a picture book, to increase the literacy experience. Looking at the cover of the book is one of the most simple and natural strategies you can do before reading the book. Have this child talk about the cover giving his or her thoughts and ideas. Looking at the cover of a book is also important when picking out literature for your classroom. Another strategy is the concept of talking about pictures and text. Allow children to point to pictures or text and explain what is happening on these pages. You can also activate prior knowledge by having the children predict what is going to happen next.  Encourage children to connect to the books personally by hearing children’s personal stories on the subject. And finally have this experience be purposeful. Picking out books purposefully can help you achieve this strategy. Having these strategies in mind and picking out good books will help create meaningful literacy experiences for children.

5 comments:

  1. Giving different kinds of picture book provide various reading opportunities to children. Also, during reading time, teachers should interact with children, not just read books. Because as children are asked questions, point pictures for explaining, and talking about character will lead children to develop their literacy abilities.

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  2. I agree that it is extremely important to introduce young children to different types, styles, and genres of books. Also, choosing books purposefully and giving children exciting and meaningful introductions to them will help children develop a love of learning and reading.

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  3. Thinking about picture books as means to a discussion, instead of a way to occupy a child is a great suggestions. Sometimes, I think reading is shifted off to a child to only to keep them from bothering a parent, or a teacher to keeping children quiet. Reading is meant to be social, and interactive. Using picture books to start a conversation, an activity, and a means to a deeper experience is so much more powerful than leaving a child alone. (even though that can be useful too!)

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  4. All of these examples of pictures books are of great quality. Many times teachers forget to include nonfiction picture books because they assume that they all must be boring and that the children would not find them interesting. There are so many nonfiction picture books out there that are educational and very interesting to young children.

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  5. I love the Usborne Touchy-Feely Board Books! We have several of them in the center I work in, and the children love them. Each page points out features of the picture, and then allows the children to associate the vocabulary with the "touchy-feely" aspect of it. The pictures are simple and colorful. My favorites are "That's Not My Dolly", "That's Not My Dinosaur", and "That's Not My Tractor" (the boys LOVE this one!).

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