Grey Winter Days are Reading Days!

Grey Winter Days are Reading Days!

These chilly days of winter seem endless, even though February promises spring.   So far this winter has been cold and snowy – children and families have been indoors a lot!                        It is time to investigate neighborhood book stores, libraries and get into the corners of your home and re-organize children’s books – they will be just like new with a different book bucket or bookcase or another space in your home!

Check out the Buffalo library’s website https://www.buffalolib.org/

This site is filled with information, resources, marvelous reading tips, games, homework helpers, audio books, parent support, author fun, special events, recommended books, story times for children and many, many more connections.

Libraries are great!                                                                                                                                                             Do you have a library card, do your children?   They’re free!

These are recommended “great reads” by the library.

New York: A Book of Colors by Ashley Evanson (Birth to Three)

If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson (Birth to Five)

You are (Not) Small by Anna Kang  (Birth to Three)

Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (Ages One to Six)

Max the Brave by Ed Vere (Birth to Five)

Wild about Us by Karen Beaumont (Birth to Five)

Little Bunny Foo Foo by Paul Brett Johnson (Birth to Six)

Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young (Ages Birth to Eight)

Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg (Birth to Five)

Seed to Plant by Rattini, Kristin Baird. (Three to Six)

An Edible Alphabet: 26 Reasons to Love the Farm by Watterson, Carol.  (Three to Six)

Nursery Rhymes and Fairy Tales are traditional, well- loved classics.  Make sure they are part of your child’s early reading experiences.  What were your favorites?  Introduce your children to them.

Babies and toddlers love books with bright pictures, textures and familiar objects (hats, dogs, toys…).   Add books with simple labels, text and story lines – read their stories with drama and song!

Preschool 3 and 4 year olds find favorite authors (Dr. Seuss, Mercer Mayer, Ezra Jack Keats…) and collections (Clifford, Berenstein Bears, Thomas the Tank Engine…).  Early readers often like to tell the story by “reading” the pictures, inserting their name, a pet or a favorite food into the book; this is great and is a true marker of early literacy!  Keep books in easy reach.  Extend stories by making up different endings, drawing pictures or singing songs.

Most importantly, be a reading model for your children.

Take time – even a few minutes – every day to read to your children. Turn off the “screen” and handle text, turn pages and touch illustrations. Hold children on your lap, snuggle on the couch or get comfy tucking them into their beds with a wonderful story that opens the door to the world.  This will make a difference for their whole life.