Sometimes you just need a minute. While the modern age makes it easy to let screens dominate our kids’ free time, many of us wish we could send kids off with a book instead. With preschoolers, the real question is how to encourage them to “read” stories independently.
In a preschool setting, downtime comes during snack time while the more ravenous kids wait for their friends to finish their food. The first time I tell a new class of preschool kids to get a book while waiting for their friends, they invariably look at me like I’m taking crazy pills and complain, “we don’t know how to read!” Yes! But that does not mean they can’t still take the time to explore books and experience the joy that comes with picturing and imagining the stories. With a little bit of teaching, you can empower kids to enjoy stories on their own.
I recently took some time to have my class listen as I read Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann, without showing them the pictures. I chose this story because it has very little text and is mostly told through illustrations. After finishing the book, I asked them to tell me what happened. Some of the kids were already familiar with this book, so they could imagine the story, but I told them to pay attention to the words only. The kids found it extremely difficult to comprehend the story from the text alone. We then re-read the book together with the children dictating the story to me using the illustrations as their guide. This activity helps early readers learn a valuable lesson – that illustrations bring the story to life, and that they can enjoy the books without knowing the words.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick is another book that I love. Unlike Goodnight Gorilla, it is a long picture-book novel. The story is told mostly by beautiful pencil illustrations. I have taught lessons with this book for preschool through third grade, and it has always been a hit. The younger kids are especially enchanted by it. We usually just enjoy the first chapter together, with the children providing the narration. It is great practice for storytelling, and gives them confidence in their abilities to “read” independently.
After a couple of short sessions like these, your little reader will start to get their feet wet. The more they hear books read to them, the more they will feel comfortable enjoying books on their own. My preschool kids gravitate toward books we have read before, so keep that in mind and help children to become familiar with a large number of books on your family bookshelf. When kids begin to graze through the bookshelf on their own, you can enjoy the fruits of your labors: a little alone time for you and a sturdy foundation for later comprehension skills such as predicting and retelling for your kids!
For further reading, enjoy this list of other fabulous books that lean on illustrations to tell the tale:
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Eric Carle– Remember this book? It was one of my favorites in Kindergarten. It’s not a surprise that kids still love it because the simple pattern, repetitive text and sing-song meter make it so easy for them to retell and “read”.
Where the Wild Things Are– by Maurice Sendak– I love a good wild rumpus! The monsters’ famous party is conveyed across the pages with no text. It brings the imagination to life with the sounds the beasts and Max are making in their crazy romp through the forest.
Not a Stick– by Antoinette Portis – This book has a really clever premise. One page shows what the child is doing while the next page shows what is happening in the imagination. The simple dialogue is easily memorized by kids, and is helped by the bulk of the storytelling accomplished through imaginative pictures.
Now– by Antoinette Portis –This sweet book helps teach your kids – while being a great reminder for us grown-ups – the power of being present and enjoying the moment. The words follow a simple pattern that is easily guided from one page to the next by the beautifully colorful illustrations.
Alice the Fairy– by David Shannon – From the author that brought us No, David!, this is the story of a little girl that imagines she is a fairy in training. The text, narrated from Alice’s point of view, follows her imagination. The pictures on the other hand show us the truth of what is actually happening. Kids and parents will appreciate the hilarious juxtaposition of fact and fiction. This book is funny and enchanting, and great for teaching kids that difficult to grasp comprehension strategy of inferring.
I hope you and yours can use this time to enjoy getting lost in beautiful stories!
What are some of your favorite picture books? Please share in the comments, we are always looking for a good read!
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