How books should be selected for children?

It is best not to show books with pictures depictinging actions you do not want children to imitate, such as fighting or breaking toys.

Books with pictures that almost tell the story:

Stories that can be read in 5-10 minutes with one or two printed lines on the page.

Stories containing funny-sounding words ("Bzzz went the honey bee." "Clickety clack, clickety clack went the train along the track." "The farmer walked through the snow - crunch, crunch, crunch.")

Repetition of sounds, words or ideas ("Daddy Bear climbed the tree. Mommy Bear climbed the tree. Baby Bear climbed the tree.")

Stories about what animals really do and what people think animals mean by their sounds (e.g., "Cut-cut-cut-ca-daw-cut! I just laid and egg!"

Preschoolers enjoy books that have a lot of actions, pictures and repetitions, and stories about themselves or other children their age. They like to hear the same book over and over again. While this may seem tiresome to the reader, it is very beneficial to the child's learning. Select books that are quality literature. A good variety of books from different genres is also important such as wordless, participation, fairy tale, picture books, and predictable books. Preschoolers like:

Additional Resource Books for Selecting Books

Many resources can help you make informed choices for quality literature. These include recommended book lists, teachers, school and public librarians, and book sellers. Suggested resource books that can be found at the library or book store include:

Books Kids Will Sit Still For by Judy Freeman
Choosing Books for Children: A Common Sense Guide by Betsy Hearne
How to Choose Good Books for Kids by Kate H. McMullan
The New Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease
Read to Me:Raising Kids Who Love to Read by Bernice E. Cullinun
The New York Times Parent Guide to the Best Books for Children by Eden Ross Lipson

Click here to find easy to use Daily Ways to Promote Your Child's Literacy Development

Read two or three pages and ask yourself these questions:

Will it be an easy, fun book to read?

• Do I understand what I am reading?
• Do I know almost every word?
• When I read it aloud, can I read it smoothly?
• Do I think the topic will interest me?

If most of your answers were “yes”, this will be an easy book to read independently by yourself.

Will this book be too hard for me?

• Are there five or more words on a page that I don’t know, or am unsure of?
• Is this book confusing and hard to understand by myself?
• When I read it aloud, does it sound choppy and slow?

If most of your answers were “yes,” this book is too hard. You should wait awhile before you read this book. Give the book another try later, or ask an adult to read the book to you.