I posted this parent handout about Book Reading Tips about a year ago. And it has been well received! I have handed it out to multiple parents of kids on my caseload and have received positive feedback. So I thought I'd expand on my recommendations here.
1.) Books with Noise or a Song - Think about some of your favorite songs or finger plays from when you were a kid (ex. Head Shoulder Knees and Toes, Isty Bitsy Spider, I'm a Little Teapot, etc) and see if you can find a book that goes along with them. A lot of kids love music, so if you can sing the book vs. read it, it becomes much more engaging. Another idea is a book with buttons that make sound. A lot of times, this starts with kids just hitting the buttons over and over. But eventually you can move to less hitting buttons and more reading.
2.) Books with Movement - I love to use books that get the kids up and moving. These books all have actions that go along with their words. (affiliate links)
If You're Happy and You Know It
There's a Monster In Your Book (there are actually several versions of this - elf, dragon, monster, etc)
If You're Spooky And You Know It (they also have a Jolly version for Christmas)
3.) Lift the Flap Books - Any flap book brings another element of fun to book reading. I know that flaps can be fragile and it's often hard to keep our little ones from ripping them. If this is an issue for you, check out Cottage Door Press Lift A Flap Board Books (affiliate link). The books have board book-like flaps, making them much more durable.
4.) Finger Puppet Books (affiliate link) - I love these little finger puppet books! Sometimes the kids like to move the puppet themselves, which makes it very engaging for them. You can also poke the puppet down into the hole, then pop it out to play peekaboo.
5.) Touchy Feely Books - I love the "That's Not My..." book series for this. Imagine That also has a Squishy Squashy Book Series that is super cute. Any books with tactile components are great for keeping little hands busy.
6.) Shine A Light Books (affiliate link) - These books are so cute! They are usually factual, informative books. However, you need a flashlight to see the hidden items! Once you shine the light behind the page, you'll see other, cool features.
7.) Indestructible Books (affiliate link) - These books are designed to be rip-proof, waterproof, wipeable, etc. You can crinkle them up and smooth them back out. They are perfect for little bitties and kids who like to be a little rough with their books. They are usually pretty simple books with cute illustrations. There are
8.) Books with Stickers or Manipulatives - Usborne books have a great collection of Busy Books that include wind up toys. My patients love these and they usually require them to request help. I also love books with a story that includes reusable stickers. They help keep kids engaged a little hands busy. These are some of favorites (affiliate links):
Kisses, Cuddles, and Goodnight
9.) Poke A Dot Books (affiliate link) - These books have little dots that you can press to make a popping sound on each page. They are another fun way to keep little hands busy while book reading.
10.) Muddle And Match Books (affiliate link) - These books are divided into three sections. You an flip the sections to different parts to make a whole new page. The kids love making silly people by mixing and matching the different parts. Super engaging!
I hope some of these suggestions will help you keep your kiddos engaged in reading. It may not look like reading right now, but we hope to establish a love of reading eventually!
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