DragonFly's Book Suggestions

Mo Willems' Books and Tips to Grow a Reader "No! Point with your finger!" Our daughter has been shouting at us these words as we read her books. I think it helps her stay focused and it is a way in which she is learning to read more words. Tracking the words as we read helps to connect the fact that what we are reading is what is on the page. An article from Learning Without Tears says: "And be sure to use your finger to point to letters and words, which helps kids connect print and speech." Lastly, pointing to the words as we read to our children shows them the pathway words take on the page; left to right and up to down.  As I told someone this weekend when they asked if she could read, "Yes, she is quite the reader." So what am I doing to help her grow her reading skills and what books are we reading? Continue reading below to see some ideas we are doing to get her thinking about words. As far as what books we focus on, we read all sort of books an...

Oldies but Goodies 6+ Classic Children's Books These books are all roughly 50 years old and ones we have read and re-read over and over.   F rom the introduction of Anita Silvey's  100 Best Books for Children: "Because children are young for such a short time, we need to give them their literary heritage during these brief years. Just as every literate adult knows certain books, every child should know specific children's books. If we fail to present these books to children, they reach adulthood without a basic literary heritage. The canon of children's books remains the best gift we could ever give our children. The titles motivate children to read: they include the best stories, the most compelling characters, and the most imaginative language. And they have stood the test of time, having attracted a wide and diverse audience of both children and adults." 1. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day  by Judith Viorst. Illustrated by Ray Cru...

Interactive Books: 9 Subcategories of Interactive Books   Over Spring Break I was reading an interactive book,  Bunny Slopes , to my daughter with my daughter on her Grandma's lap. We got a couple of pages in and she looks over to her Grandma and says "I love this book, this is my favorite, do you love this book?" So what is an interactive book? An interactive book draws readers in and asks them to participate with the story in some way. When books are fun and playful, it strengthens their love for reading which in turn makes learning to read easier for them. Print Motivation is one of the six early literacy skills  that have been identified that children must know before they learn to read. In order to promote print motivation one must enjoy books. Interactive books can also: promote independence, hand-eye coordination, understanding that reading is from left to right, fine-motor practice, sensory outlets and other skills like 'good readers make predictions' (wha...