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Enjoying Books with Children
February 27, 2008
Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.
-Margaret Fuller
Mary Hohman, writing in High/Scope Extensions (Summer 2007; www.highscope.org), describes the many pleasures of reading with young children.  For example, she talks about the "pleasure of place"....

"Looking at, reading, and talking about books with children magically transports you and the children out of your immediate surroundings to Nashville, Tennessee (Goin' Someplace Special, McKissack), the Spanish countryside (Ferdinand, Lawson), a Lakota camp on the Plains (Crazy Horse's Vision, Nelson), a restaurant in Chinatown (Apple Pie 4th of July, Wong), Canada in the time of the voyageurs (A Dog Came, Too, Manson), or Mali (The Hatseller and the Monkeys, Diakite).  You might go to Sam-sam-sa-mara 'where the animals and the people lived and worked together like they didn't know they weren't supposed to' (Sam and the Tigers, Lester) or the land of wooden blocks (Changes, Changes, Hutchins).  You can live in the past, the present, or the future; a real place; or an imaginative world where animals talk and mingle with humans, fairies, giants, and 'wild things.'

"Psychologically, these places can be safe, reassuring, scary, strange, evocative, familiar, whimsical, puzzling, or absurd.  The beauty is that children can enter and leave these worlds at will by opening or closing a book.  They can venture forth on their own, with friends, or snuggled comfortably next to you or any other book-loving adult. 

"So let us exert ourselves to supply children with wonderful books and read them with pleasure all the days of the preschool year.  Surely, a love of books and comprehension, phonological awareness, alphabetic principle, and concepts about print will follow."




The Exchange Out of the Box Training Kits provide directors with a great way to jump right in and lead in-house training sessions for teachers on a variety of topics such as literacy and learning.  Check out our current list of Out of the Box Training Kits.  If you purchase the online versions, you save money and have immediate access to the kits.

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Comments (3)

Displaying All 3 Comments
gail landers · February 28, 2008
United States


One of my favorite book of quotes is "What the Doormouse Said, Lessons for Grown-ups from Children's Books", (Amy Gash-2004)

"Anyone can fly. All you need is somewhere to go that you can't get to any other way. The next thing you know, you're flying among the stars." (Tar Beach, Faith Ringgold,1991)

"Books can take you anywhere..."

Just read the picture!

Gail Landers, Williamsport, Pa.

veronicav · February 27, 2008
ccr&r head start
rochester, mn, United States


It's a great benefit to read to child/children, it's gives them language,book knowledge, awareness of print. emotionally gives them calming,closeness to the adult reading the story.

patricia brocato · February 27, 2008
University at Buffalo Child Care Center
buffalo, ny, United States


Whenever I read to a child or children, it always gives me a good feeling to know that they really are listening to the story because they have a million questions afterwards, & you aren't wasting valuable time.


















































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