What Preschoolers Like In Books

What Preschoolers Like In Books (4 - 5 Years of Age)

• Books that tell stories

• Books that make them laugh

• Books with simple text they can memorize

• Books about kids that are like them - also books that introduce children who are different from them

• Books about going to school and books about making friends

• Books that have playful or rhyming language

• Alphabet books, counting books, and vocabulary books

• Books about the real world - trucks, dinosaurs, insects

For Print Motivation:

• Non-Fiction Books can follow a preschooler's fascination about the world around them. Let them know the things they love can be found in books!

• Repeated Phrases and Patterned Texts Books make it easy for preschoolers to jump in and participate.

• Read an old favorite of yours. Your enthusiasm will be contagious!

For Phonological Awareness:

• Song Books are a great way to help them hear the smaller sounds in words. Preschoolers will enjoy song collections that keep everyone singing!

• Rhyming Books can have a good rhythm to the language, even if they are not written in formal "poem" stanzas. They are some of the best ways to build phonological awareness skills.
  

• Preschoolers are ready for longer rhyming collections.

For Vocabulary:

• Picture Books build vocabulary because they have more "rare" words than our casual conversation.

• Books that incorporate questions to the reader are great conversation starters. The more we talk with our children, the larger their vocabularies will be.

• ABC Books often are full of objects to name and things to discuss.

For Narrative Skills:

• Stories that explore daily events, the passing seasons, or steps involved in making something, help children understand sequence.

• Hearing different versions of familiar folktales help make children aware of the basic structure of a story.

• Wordless and Nearly Wordless Books let children tell stories in their own words.

For Print Awareness:

• Books about reading and writing are great ways to help build a child's interest in and awareness of books and print.

For Letter Knowledge:

• Preschoolers are starting to learn letter sounds as well as letter shapes. You can use I Spy Books to look for objects that start with a certain sound.

• Preschoolers are also ready for more sophisticated alphabet books that play with letter shapes, letter sounds, and vocabulary.

Search-and-Find Books give preschoolers a chance to practice differentiating between shapes and objects. Make sure the books are not to easy.