Reading aloud to children is the single most important activity for building all early literacy skills and preparing children to read on their own. This collection of books demonstrates great shared reading practices, shows that books can affect lives profoundly, and allows children to practice age-appropriate pre-reading behaviors themselves.
Backseat A-B-See
by Maria Van Lieshout
San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2012
ISBN: 9781452106649
From the backseat, what do you see? Backseat A-B-See showcases a different road sign for each letter of the alphabet as a parent and a child drive in a car. Recognizing and reading road signs is one of the first ways children begin to understand that print is all around us, and that it carries meaning.
Early literacy activity ideas for Backseat A-B-See
Bear in the Book
by Kate Banks; illustrated by George Hallensleben
New York: Frances Foster Books/Farrar Straus Giroux, 2012
ISBN: 9780374305918
At bedtime, a boy and his mother snuggle together and read a book about a bear hibernating in the winter. The boy asks questions and the mother answers him as the reader looks over their shoulders and enjoys the book with them. The Bear in the Book models a cozy bedtime routine and engaging reading practices such as having a conversation about the story, noticing details in the illustrations, and interacting with the characters.
Early literacy activity ideas for Bear in the Book
Lola at the Library
by Anna McQuinn; illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw
Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2006
ISBN: 9781580891134
Tuesdays are library days for Lola and her mother, and Lola describes everything they do to get ready, including their walk to the library and what they do during their visit. Lola at the Library is a wonderful expression of the enjoyment one family finds in reading, discovering new books, and sharing them together.
Early literacy activity ideas for Lola at the Library
Maybe a Bear Ate It!
by Robie Harris; illustrated by Michael Emberley
New York: Orchard books, 2008
ISBN: 9780439929615
A cat-like creature begins to fall asleep after reading a favorite book, but then realizes the book is gone and imagines all the terrible things that could have happened to the book. Did a bear eat it? Did a stegosaurus stomp on it? This character demonstrates the joy and comfort that readers feel for their books.
Early literacy activity ideas for Maybe a Bear Ate It!
Wolf!
by Becky Bloom; illustrated by Pascal Biet
New York: Orchard Books, 1999
ISBN: 0531301559
A very hungry wolf who can’t get any respect from some literate farm animals decides to learn to read by going to school, practicing his reading skills, using the library, and buying a book of his own. In the end, the wolf becomes just as enthralled with the magic of books as the other animals. Wolf! shares a story about how reading can change lives in positive ways.
