You don’t have to dig around on the internet for very long before you find tons of articles and research that stress how important reading is for young children. For my daughter, it was one of the first routines my wife and I established as first-time parents. Flash forward four years later and we have an energetic preschooler with a short attention span…who still loves to read stories every night.
But what is the key to keeping enthusiasm towards reading high? Here, we give a few easy tips to help you pick out the perfect book for preschooler.
Tip #1 Kids love to learn, introduce something new!
The most obvious thing to keep in mind when picking out a new book for a young child is to make sure it has the right message. As children are getting introduced to school, they’re in a state of constant learning and thrive on picking up new concepts. Using story time at home as a way to introduce new topics to your children is a great way to teach them about the world around them. Many of today’s most popular authors often use their works as a way to teach kids about subjects like culture, science, history and geography. This introduction of new subjects is also a great way to help expand your child’s vocabulary and promote an inquisitive, curious mindset.
If you need help with a recommendation, don’t be afraid to ask your child’s preschool teacher for suggested reading. There’s likely an easy opportunity to work in story time at home that is consistent with the lessons they’re starting to learn in preschool.
Tip #2: Less is usually more
Attention spans these days are short…especially when we’re talking about four and five year old’s. The best way to ensure they are staying engaged is to pick a book that has a good, but simple message. My preference is to choose books that have only three to four sentences per page so that you’re constantly moving through the story. Any more than that, and my daughter is eagerly starting to reach for the next page in the book.
The other benefit of a simpler message is a higher retention rate. As mentioned in Tip #1, you want to make sure you’re selecting stories that teach or introduce something valuable to your preschooler. By partnering a good message with simple reading flow, you’ll dramatically increase the likelihood of your child remembering and recalling the important parts of the story. My daughter often recites the lines from her favorite books and even relates back to them when she’s taking an action similar to one described in the story. Less if often more.
Tip #3: Be purposeful about illustrations
You’d be hard pressed to find a children’s book targeted for preschool age children that didn’t have illustrations as a focal point. The reason for this, beyond the obvious eye-catching appeal of colorful artwork, is that illustrations do a great job of establishing context for the story you’re reading. This is particularly important considering you’re likely introducing new vocabulary and concepts to your young child. As summed up perfectly by maaillustrations.com:
“Illustrations in story books help in overall child development by stimulating the reader’s imaginations, heightening perceptions about the narrative and increasing the reader’s sense of observation. Accurate and professional illustrations are also invaluable learning aid for children with short attention span and learning disabilities. Comprehension is made easier for these readers since they can use the images as a support system to strengthen their understanding of the text.”
So while unique imagery and bright colors are certainly appealing reasons to select a book for your preschooler, make sure the illustrations also help your new reader follow along with the story.
We hope these tips help you next time you’re in a library or book store trying to find the perfect book for your eager, preschooler! If you want our recommendation on some good places to start, visit our Top Picks page.