December 10, 2013 - Great Holiday Books

Here are some great holiday books to read together:

Little Santa  by Jon Agee

The Christmas Quiet Book  by Deborah Underwood

Pete the Cat Saves Christmas  by Eric Litwin

How the Grinch Stole Christmas!  by Dr. Seuss

 Daddy Christmas and Hanukkah Mama  by Selina Alko

 Hanukkah Mice  by Steven Kroll

 Duck & Goose It's Time for Christmas  by Tad Hills

 An Otis Christmas  by Loren Long

 Santa Claus and the Three Bears  by Maria Modugno

  The Night Before Christmas  by Clement C. Moore

 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer  by Barbara Hazen

   Dinosaur Christmas  by Jerry Pallotta

December 10, 2013 - Reading Rockets is a Great Resource for Parents

Here are some reading tips from Reading Rockets. It's a great website for information about the importance of books and reading.   http://www.readingrockets.org/


READING TIPS
Read early and read often. The early years are critical to developing
a lifelong love of reading. It’s never too early to begin reading to your child!
The tips below offer some fun ways you can help your child become
a happy and confident reader. Try a new tip each week. See what works
best for your child.
■ Read together every day.
Read to your child every day. Make this a
warm and loving time when the two of you can
cuddle close.
■ Give everything a name.
Build your child’s vocabulary by talking about
interesting words and objects. For example,
“Look at that airplane! Those are the wings of the
plane. Why do you think they are called wings?”
■ Say how much you enjoy reading.
Tell your child how much you enjoy reading
with him or her. Talk about “story time” as the
favorite part of your day.
■ Read with fun in your voice.
Read to your child with humor and expression.
Use different voices. Ham it up!
■ Know when to stop.
Put the book away for awhile if your child loses
interest or is having trouble paying attention.
■ Be interactive.
Discuss what’s happening in the book, point out
things on the page, and ask questions.
■ Read it again and again.
Go ahead and read your child’s favorite book for
the 100th time!
■ Talk about writing, too.
Mention to your child how we read from left to
right and how words are separated by spaces.
■ Point out print everywhere.
Talk about the written words you see in the
world around you. Ask your child to find a new
word on each outing.
■ Get your child evaluated.
Please be sure to see your child’s pediatrician
or teacher as soon as possible if you have concerns
about your child’s language development,
hearing, or sight.

Popular Preschool Books

Some good books to read together:


Chicka Chicka Boom Boom  by Bill Martin, Jr.



The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle



Pete the Cat-I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin


Press Here by Herve' Tullet

 
If you Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff


Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems


The Napping House by Audrey Wood


Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr.


Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin


I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry

 
I Ain't Gonna Paint No More! by Karen Beaumont


Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney


How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? by Jane Yolen

It's summer and time to help your children keep their reading skills up. You can participate in our summer reading program by having your child ages 0-11 read five books (or you can read to them) fill out a reading log and turn it in. Your child can pick a free book of their choice as their reward. Drawing chances will be given for each additional five books read during June and July. We will be giving away items like: St. Louis Cardinal baseball tickets, River City Rascal baseball tickets, books, book bags, gift cards, etc.

Try the Reading Rockets web page for good books for kids up to the age of nine. Tap into what your child is interested in and try to find a book on that subject to read. Sometimes it just takes the right book to make your child an avid reader.




http://www.readingrockets.org/books/booksbytheme/

More Good Books to Read Together

Flower Garden - by Eve Bunting

It's not easy to have a flower garden when you live in an apartment. Watch a young girl surprise some special!


Ten Red Apples - by Pat Hutchins

The farmer has 10 apples on his tree, until the animals start helping themselves. Will there be enough to go around? Help count!

Tops and Bottoms - by Janet Stevens

Bear owns a lot of land but is too lazy to harvest it. The Hare family have a plan to utilize that land; but what does Bear think when he receives his payment?

The Very Hungry Caterpillar - by Eric Carle

A caterpillar grows up to be a butterfly.

Waiting for Wings - by Lois Ehlert

Follow along through another one of Lois Ehlert's original books about the lifespan of a butterfly. Vibrant colors and unique page layouts make this book captivating to the reader.

Where the Wild Things Are - by Maurice Sendak

Max was misbehaving so his mother sent him to his room. Where did his imagination take him next?

Read With Me!

Books to read with your child:

  26 Letters and 99 Cents - by Tana Hoban

A "must have book" for children. On one side of the book you can learn the ABC's, then turn the book around and learn the beginning concepts of counting coins.

  Big Fat Hen - by Keith Baker

A vibrantly colored book which has the reader counting to ten with the big fat hen!

  Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? - by Bill Martin

Children will learn different colors and animals while rhyming their way through this very popular and fun book.

  Bunny Cakes - by Rosemary Wells

Max and his sister are each making a birthday cake for their Grandma. How is each of them unique?

  Chicka Chicka Boom Boom - by Jim Archambault

Chant your way up the coconut tree with the alphabet.

  Corduroy - by Don Freeman

Corduroy the bear waits patiently for a child to buy him and take him home. What happens when his opportunity almost passes him by?

  Goodnight Moon - by Margaret Wise Brown

This widely popular book deals with the daily routine of saying goodnight before bed.