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Expert Advice, Strategies and Resources for Raising Readers:

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  • Newborn

    0 to 4 mo

  • Infant

    4 mo to 1 yr

  • Toddler

    1 to 3 yrs

  • Preschool

    3 to 5 yrs

  • Beginner

    5 to 8 yrs

  • Elementary

    8 to 11 yrs

Preschool
3 to 5 Years

banner-preschool

Preschool children

between 3-5 years of age enjoy stories, simple non-fiction, poetry, songs, and chants. They particularly enjoy finger plays, clapping games, and hand rhymes that include any type of body movement. Illustrations play an important role as preschoolers learn to follow more complex stories. Books with familiar content help preschoolers understand the world and make connections. Every book, song, rhyme, or chant lays a foundation for reading.


Why read to your preschooler?

There are many advantages that come from reading with your preschooler. In addition to the goodness of sharing stories, learning new things, and spending time together, reading develops vocabulary, an important skill for future academic success.

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Learning songs and rhymes and hearing many stories before entering kindergarten prepares your child for learning in the best way possible.


Top 10 Tips for Preschoolers

  1. Ask your preschooler questions and talk to them as you read. This helps them understand the book and their world.
  2. Preschoolers learn from pictures, so spend time enjoying, pointing, noticing, and naming.
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  1. Teach your child how stories work by asking them what happened in the beginning, middle, or at the end of the story.
  2. Once your child is very familiar with the story, have them “read” the book to you using the pictures.
  3. Preschoolers love to make connections with books. Remind them of similarities between something in the book and their life.
  4. Preschoolers really enjoy moving in response to what they hear.
  5. In addition to books, preschoolers love when someone reads them age-appropriate magazines, cereal boxes, postcards, catalogs, and other non-books.
  6. Tuck a book or two in your car or bag and read with your child whenever you have the time.
  7. Preschoolers benefit from seeing their name in print. Write your child’s name on their artwork, with magnetic letters, on the bedroom door, etc.
  8. Preschoolers love the poetry, rhythm, and rhyme in Mother Goose and other similar books intended for this age.

How do you read with a preschooler?

  • Spend time enjoying the pictures—a very important part of the story. Talk about what you both notice in the pictures.
  • Chant repetitive lines “...that lived in the house that Jack built.”
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  • Focus on fun—enjoy a story, cuddle, laugh, learn new ideas and words.
  • Before reading the book, look at the cover together and talk about what the book might be about.
  • Ask questions as you read. Why do you think that happened? What do you think will happen next? etc.
  • What was their favorite part and why?
  • Smoothly sweep your finger across the words as you read so your child can see how we read from left to right. If you are reading books in another language sweep your finger in the direction that you read.
  • Notice words in your everyday life that start with the first letter of your child's name. “Look Sam, there is a stop sign. Stop starts with s (make the sound sssssss) just like Sam does!” Note: When you make the sound of letters, make only the sound without adding additional sounds. M says mmmm not ma, etc.
  • Never withhold reading as a punishment.
  • Reading with your toddler is really about enjoying books together. Make sure your questions and activities don’t overshadow the reading joy.

Reading with your preschooler teaches them that:

  • reading and hearing stories are fun.
  • books have new and interesting words.
  • books are important.
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  • they can learn things from books.
  • pictures should be right side up.
  • reading happens from left to right (in English).
  • reading may sound different than speaking.
  • words are made up of different sounds.
  • stories are made up of words that are written down.
  • words are made of letters.
  • there is a space between each word.
  • books have a beginning, middle, and end.

Preschool Book Reviews

Preschool

Title: Flip Flap Farm

Author: Nosy Crow

Illustrator: Axel Scheffler

Why We Love It:

Why We Love It

Who doesn’t love crazy animals? The informative rhymes for each farm animal alone would have made this a great book. Two flaps …more

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Tags: animal sound, axel scheffler, board book, creativity, farm, flap book, infant, interactive, phonics, preschool, toddler

 

Preschool

Title: Big and Small (Odd One Out)

Author: Guido Van Genechten

Illustrator: By the author

Why We Love It:

Why We Love It

Toddlers love searching for things and this book is a treasure hunt! Each double page spread is filled with repetitive block-printed illustrations …more

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Tags: board book, infant, preschool, search and find, spot the difference, toddler

 

Preschool

Title: The Little Red Hen (Folk Tale Classics)

Author: Paul Galdone

Illustrator: By the author

Why We Love It:

Why We Love It

This classic folktale offers simple language with plenty of repetition for enthusiastic participation including “Not I, said the …(cat, dog mouse)” as …more

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Tags: animal, board book, bread, fairytale, folktale, helping, hen, infant, moral, preschool, toddler, wheat

 

Preschool

Title: National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Dinosaurs

Author: Catherine D. Hughes

Illustrator: Franco Tempesta

Why We Love It:

Why We Love It

Preschoolers are frequently fascinated by dinosaurs.  This beautifully illustrated book breaks the dinosaurs into four categories: small, big, giant and gigantic. Parents …more

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Tags: board book, compare contrast, dinosaurs, fact book, infant, informational text, national geographic, non fiction, preschool, science, toddler

 

Preschool

Title: Iggy Peck Architect

Author: Andrea Beaty

Illustrator: David Roberts

Why We Love It:

Why We Love It

“Young Iggy Peck is an architect, and has been since he was two

When he built a great tower – in only an …more

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Tags: architecture, art, board book, building, creativity, humor, imagination, infant, picture book, preschool, read aloud, rhyming, school fiction, toddler

 

Preschool

Title: 1 to 20, Animals Aplenty

Author: Katie Viggers

Illustrator: By the author

Why We Love It:

Why We Love It

Good counting books have objects that are easily counted without other distractions. 1 to 20 Animals Aplenty has detailed illustrations of quirky …more

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Tags: animal, board book, concept book, counting, illustration, infant, numbers, rhyming, toddler

 
More Preschool Reviews


What types of books are best for preschoolers?

  • Stories with:
    • simple plots (or slightly longer stories for the older preschooler).
    • humor.
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    • illustrations or photos on every page that match the words.
    • repetitive phrases your child can remember and repeat.
    • a rhyming pattern.
    • words and pictures that show children doing the things your child does (playing sports, painting, swimming, going shopping, etc.)
  • Joke/riddle books
  • Non-fiction that:
    • sparks interest.
    • is written with simpler language.
    • offers a limited number of facts on each page.
    • uses pictures to support the facts.
    • helps expand your child’s understanding.
    • develops vocabulary.
  • Poetry and verse with rhythm and rhyme including:
    • nursery rhymes.
    • chants.
    • finger plays.
    • hand rhymes.
    • clapping games.
    • jump rope rhymes.
  • Wordless books mostly have pictures with few or no words. They are a rich source for:
    • connecting with a story using your own thoughts/words.
    • telling what you see (developing language).
    • inviting your preschooler to help tell the story using the pictures (an important skill for beginning readers).
  • Make your own books—your child will love to read homemade books about themselves.
  • Check out Go Reader Go book reviews to find books that can help launch your preschooler’s lifelong love of reading.

What else can I read to my preschooler besides books?

Read a variety of materials including:

  • magazines for young children.
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  • cereal boxes, toothpaste tubes, milk cartons, etc.
  • instructions for activities and games.
  • signs, billboards, posters, advertisements, etc.
  • birthday cards, postcards, letters, catalogs etc.

When should I read with my preschooler?

  • Read every day.
  • When you have a spare moment. Carry a book with you just in case.
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  • When it works for you both. This may or may not be at bedtime. Some preschoolers are too tired/wired before bed.

Reading together is a gift that paves the way for a lifetime of learning for your child. Read every day. Enjoy. Repeat.

Get fresh ideas, book recommendations and expert advice on raising a lifelong reader.

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