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One of the requirements of MECK Pre-K is that you and your child read 100 books together, but why? Reading to and with young children has a host of developmental benefits including but not limited to:
- Reading together allows for a shared experience that often includes some close physical contact…snuggle with your child, let them help turn the pages, ask them what they see in the picture or what they think the book will be about based on the title/cover art.
- Reading teaches children new vocabulary…feel free to stop mid story and ask them what they think a word might mean. If they’re correct you can say, “You’re right! Great job figuring that out! How did you know?” If they’re incorrect you can say, “Hmm…I can see why you thought that. Great job trying to figure it out. I think it means _____ because ______.”
- Reading teaches children the conventions of print…Show them where the title is when you read it. Name the author and illustrator and ask them if they know what those people do. Use your finger to follow the words on the page and let your child do that too. In English you’ll be following left to right, from the top of the page to the bottom. Other languages may have different print conventions.
- Reading strengthens children’s experiences and gives them insights into new experiences…read books with a variety of characters who think and feel a variety of ways. When children can see themselves in a character it can validate who they are, what they feel, and what they experience.
- At this age, most children can’t read so don’t stress about saying exactly what’s on the page. Many wonderful, award-winning children’s books don’t even have written text…look at the pictures and come up with your own story or let your child look at the pictures and tell their story! It’s all about the shared experience.
Example: Using Knuffle Bunny
A good example of a book that can support your child’s emerging literacy is the delightful Knuffle Bunny, by Mo Willems. This book tells the story of Trixie, a toddler whose favorite bunny gets left behind during a trip to the Laundromat. Sharing Knuffle Bunny can:
Enrich your child’s life by affirming, valuing, and extending what she knows about the world and herself. Children who accompany their parents to the Laundromat each week will relate to Trixie’s experiences. For other children who have never had that experience, sharing this story might extend what they already know about washing clothes while exposing them to a new concept—a trip to the Laundromat.
Strengthen your relationship with your child through the physical closeness and conversation that is part of sharing books with children. Children who have a favorite toy may connect emotionally with Trixie, who loses and then finds her favorite stuffed animal at the Laundromat.
Support emerging literacy as your child begins to learn how stories and books “work.” Knuffle Bunny gives very young children the opportunity to learn about the structure of a story (that it has a beginning, middle, and end, as well as characters and a plot) and how print and pictures convey or tell the meaning of the story.
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