- Tips For Reading With Your Preschooler
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15 Books To Add To Your Collection
- 1. Stick And Stone by Beth Ferry and Tom Lichtenheld
- 2. All About Friends by Felicity Brooks and Mar Ferrera
- 3. Old Friends by Margaret Aitken
- 4. Don’t Hug Doug (He Doesn’t Like It) by Carrie Finison
- 5. The Someone New by Jill Twiss
- 6. Amelia Bedelia Makes a Friend by Herman Parish
- 7. Kindness is My Superpower by Alicia Ortega
- 8. Be Kind by Zietlow Miller
- 9. Will You Be My Friend? by Sam McBratney
- 10. What If We Were All The Same? by CM. Harris and Ashlyn Feather
- 11. Kindness Makes Us Strong by Sophie Beer
- 12. A Friend Like You by Andrea Schomburg & Barbara Röttgen
- 13. The Little Book Of Friendship
- 14. Flowy by Gilberto Mariscal
- 15. Hello Friend by Rebecca Cobb
- Family-focused Preschool In Parkland
It’s no secret that reading is one of the best things you can do with your preschool child. Reading together not only creates a bond between a parent and child but there are many other benefits, too. According to the Florida Department of Education, the latest reading research shows just a few of the benefits of reading with your child include:
- Language development
- Vocabulary
- Phonics
- Fluency
- Phonological awareness
- Empathy
- Emotional development
- Life Lessons and moral growth
- Comprehension
Even from as early as infancy, children pick up a lot through reading. Interactive learning happens through hearing stories and sounds and engaging with others around them.
The staff at Parkland Children’s Academy has compiled top tips for how to make reading enjoyable for you and your child, as well as some favorite picks about the importance of friendship. Preschool is often the place where lifelong friendships begin!
Tips For Reading With Your Preschooler
The benefits of reading to children are numerous and here are a few tips on how to make reading together enjoyable for both parent and child:
Create A Conversation
When reading with your child, ask them interesting questions as they relate to the pictures on the pages. Most preschool-appropriate books will have lots of fun pictures and elements to discuss. Point things out, ask about colors, count the characters, and create a conversation with your child.
Find Interactive Books
There are millions of incredible books available for early ages. You can get sound books, where buttons create relevant sounds. There are counting, puzzles, puppets, and action books. Finding fun books will help to nurture a love for reading and interactive stories are a big win for toddlers.
Create A Reading And Drawing Space
Setting up a reading, writing, and drawing-specific space in your home somewhere quiet will give your child room to view such activities as important. Setting aside a special time in the day as part of your routine can also reinforce the value of reading time. When you’re able to engage with them during that special time, it’s even better!
15 Books To Add To Your Collection
You might already have some of these amazing stories about friendship on your toddler’s bookshelf. If not, we recommend giving them a try:
1. Stick And Stone by Beth Ferry and Tom Lichtenheld
A unique friendship formed between a stick and a stone after a rescue mission from a pinecone bully. This book is great for children because of the rhymes and puns dotted throughout the pages too.
2. All About Friends by Felicity Brooks and Mar Ferrera
Ideally, this book is for children who are 3 and up, but the lessons inside are evergreen in their value. Explore the ins and outs of what friendship means, and how to be a good friend to others.
3. Old Friends by Margaret Aitken
Friendships come in many different forms. This delightful, upbeat book is all about a little girl looking for friends who have similar interests to her in an old age home.
4. Don’t Hug Doug (He Doesn’t Like It) by Carrie Finison
All good friendships have personal boundaries and mutual acceptance. This book about Doug, who doesn’t enjoy hugs, is a great lesson on how to care for friends and respect their boundaries.
5. The Someone New by Jill Twiss
Accepting new friendships in an established micro-community isn’t always easy. This story will show your child the importance of sharing ideas and opinions with friends and help them to embrace and accept new friends. Inclusion is a top skill for little minds in a preschool environment.
6. Amelia Bedelia Makes a Friend by Herman Parish
Help your child to learn to sound out sentences and recognize words while enjoying this sweet tale of saying goodbye to friends and discovering new ones.
7. Kindness is My Superpower by Alicia Ortega
No matter what you believe about life, everyone needs kindness, empathy, and compassion. This story is about this very thing, which in a friendship counts for a lot.
8. Be Kind by Zietlow Miller
Often, the mark of true friendship is kindness and care for another person. In this sweet story, your child will learn to stand up for others, do what’s right, and be kind to others.
9. Will You Be My Friend? by Sam McBratney
This is a classic story about the beauty of making new friends and enjoying and appreciating them for who they are. It takes courage to ask someone to be your friend, which is something everyone needs to do at some point (and it pays off!).
10. What If We Were All The Same? by CM. Harris and Ashlyn Feather
Explore the idea of diversity with this fun story, highlighting what the world would be like if everyone was the same. The fact that we are all different is a positive lesson for young children to grasp from an early age.
11. Kindness Makes Us Strong by Sophie Beer
Kindness is one thing that can never be over-emphasized when it comes to friendship. This community-focused book is about how kindness can bring people together to form long-lasting friendships and mutual respect.
12. A Friend Like You by Andrea Schomburg & Barbara Röttgen
Unlikely friendships are sometimes the best. Spend time with a bird and a squirrel in this tale about two very unlikely friends with different interests. Not everyone is the same; teach your child that friendship is about acceptance of differences.
13. The Little Book Of Friendship
The best way to make good friends is to be a good friend. Teach your child the art of being a good friend through this story.
14. Flowy by Gilberto Mariscal
This story is a perfect read for early learners from baby years through to first grade. Explore the values of friendship and responsibility with your child through the lenses of creativity and imagination.
15. Hello Friend by Rebecca Cobb
A delightful story about an enthusiastic little girl and her efforts to become friends with a little boy. Teach your child about sharing, among other friendship values, which work well in all good friendships.
Family-focused Preschool In Parkland
Parkland Children’s Academy is a passionate, family-focused preschool with a passion for training children in holistic and empowering ways.
For help choosing the right books for your child and other helpful resources, visit our blog.
If you are interested in enrolling your child in our Parkland preschool then please contact us to book a tour of our early childhood learning facility today by calling 954-688-5877.