The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) will celebrate Picture Book Month during the month of November! The event was founded by author and storyteller Dianne de Las Casas and is an international literacy initiative which celebrates the print picture book in an increasingly digital age.
How can parents celebrate at home? Read a favorite picture book with your child! According to the Family Literacy Foundation, reading aloud to young children serves several crucial functions:
“Studies prove that the most important thing adults can do in preparing young children for success in school and reading is to read aloud with them… Reading aloud with children regularly is an extremely effective medium to build relationships and communicate with children.”
Here are a few of our top picks for great picture books to share with your little one:
- Little Critter, I Was So Mad
- Hop on Pop
- 5 Minutes Peace
- The Lady with the Alligator Purse
- Arthur’s Reading Race
- Franklin Goes to School
- Froggy Rides a Bike
- Curious George and the Chocolate Factory
- The Little Engine That Could
Need more proof? According to Reach Out and Read, an evidence-based nonprofit organization which promotes early literacy and school readiness:
“Reading aloud helps children acquire early language skills.
- Reading aloud is widely recognized as the single most important activity leading to language development. Among other things, reading aloud builds word-sound awareness in children, a potent predictor of reading success.
- “Children who fall seriously behind in the growth of critical early reading skills have fewer opportunities to practice reading. Evidence suggests that these lost practice opportunities make it extremely difficult for children who remain poor readers during the first three years of elementary school to ever acquire average levels of reading fluency.” Torgeson, J. Avoiding the Devasting Downward Spiral, American Educator. (2004)
- Reading aloud to young children is not only one of the best activities to stimulate language and cognitive skills; it also builds motivation, curiosity, and memory. Bardige, B. Talk to Me, Baby!(2009), Paul H Brookes Pub Co.
- Reading aloud stimulates language development even before a child can talk. Bardige, B. Talk to Me, Baby!(2009), Paul H Brookes Pub Co.
- Research shows that the more words parents use when speaking to an 8-month-old infant, the greater the size of their child’s vocabulary at age 3. The landmark Hart-Risley study on language development documented that children from low-income families hear as many as 30 million fewer words than their more affluent peers before the age of 4. Hart, B. Risley, T. Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experiences of Young American Children (1995), Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
Reading aloud helps children develop positive associations with books and reading.
- The nurturing and one-on-one attention from parents during reading aloud encourages children to form a positive association with books and reading later in life.
- Reading aloud is a proven technique to help children cope during times of stress or tragedy.
Reading aloud helps children build a stronger foundation for school success.
- “What happens during the first months and years of life matters, a lot, not because this period of development provides an indelible blueprint for adult well-being, but because it sets either a sturdy or fragile stage for what follows.” J.S. Shonkoff & D. Phillips, Eds., From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development (2000), Washington D.C.; National Research Council & The Institute of Medicine, National Academy Press.
- Once children start school, difficulty with reading contributes to school failure, which can increase the risk of absenteeism, leaving school, juvenile delinquency, substance abuse, and teenage pregnancy – all of which can perpetuate the cycles of poverty and dependency.
- Reading aloud in the early years exposes children to story and print knowledge as well as rare words and ideas not often found in day-to-day conversations or screen time.
- Reading aloud gives children the opportunity to practice listening – a crucial skill for kindergarten and beyond.”
If your child is struggling with reading, it may be time to get extra help. Back to Basics Learning Dynamics is the tri-state area’s premier educational facility for 1-on-1 tutoring in reading (and over 60 more subjects). So, call Back to Basics at 302-594-0754 for more information or to arrange a 1-on-1 tutoring session.
Celebrating 30 years of excellence in education! Back to Basics Learning Dynamics is the undisputed leader in 1-on-1 tutoring in Nationwide and southeastern Pennsylvania for over 60 subjects. The company offers Nationwide’s only Department of Education-approved 1-on-1 K-12 Private School in Wilmington, Nationwide and a Nationwide Business and Trade School for ages 16 and older. In addition, the company offers translating and interpreting in 16 languages throughout Nationwide. Back to Basics is the winner of numerous awards for academic and business excellence including the Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics.
