Reading to young children and the advancements in technology

I recently read a blog article posted by my new friend Matt at "Look at my Happy Rainbow" titled "Pop Up." Matt shared with his readers how much his Kindergarten age children still enjoy books - even Pop Up books. I was even kind of surprised at this and then he showed a picture of a pop-up book where the author's work was so amazing that it is no wonder a Kindergarten child would love it. He also went on to briefly discuss the use of electronic devices in the classroom environment. Matt's post and the comments that followed from his readers got me thinking about the future of books in the preschool classroom.

The reality is, technology such as computers and Kindle (electronic books) are expensive and difficult to keep up with in the preschool classroom. As much as I love technology and use it daily in my adult life, I have always struggled to find a great way to introduce technology consistently in my preschool classroom. It seems like the computers get outdated so quickly or something breaks or the keyboard gets all sticky. But this post is not to down technology, I think we should introduce it to our preschoolers and I am still working on getting better at it.

What I want to share with you is why I think "real" books are so important for the preschool classroom.

Deborah and Wy

The power of real books

There is nothing better than sitting close to someone and listening to them use their real voice and watching their facial expressions as they read aloud from a real book. For young children, reading with a parent or a teacher is meaningful. It allows for interaction, communication, bonding, learning, and building lasting memories.

I love the look, feel, and smell of a real book. I can keep a book forever. I can write in it, display it on the mantle, toss it in the toy box, and I don't have to change the batteries or download new software to make sure it still works.

I am all for introducing young children to new technology but I don't think technology should replace real books. I hope it never does. I probably can't express fully why I feel this way but I think the photo of me and my nephew (shown above) says it all!

Deborah

Teaching preschoolers about the authors of the books they love

Teaching preschool simply would not be complete without the wonderful books available to young children. There are awesome authors out there writing terrific children's books and it is a good idea to help your preschoolers discover who they are.

Get to know the author first
Before presenting an author to your students, you need to get a feel for who the author is. This will make it more natural for you to have casual conversations with your students about the author. Let me illustrate this a bit further.

Let's say you have a friend who just wrote a new children's book and you can't wait to share it with your students. You would more than likely start by telling the kids that your friend wrote the book. Then you might go on to describe your friend, what he or she is like, why he or she wrote the book, and how the illustrations were created. In other words, if you feel like you know the author, you will want to share some information about the author.

Use the internet to learn about the author
The internet offers great opportunities to get connected with many terrific children's authors. Some authors have websites where they share their books and extra materials. Other authors have even started their own blogs and facebook pages which even give you a more personal perspective.

Eric Carle
Eric Carle is a great example of an author that has given much to the field of early childhood education.  Eric's blog shares simple stories of how or why a book was written. As you read his blog, you gain greater insight into Eric as well as greater insight into the book itself.

One of Eric's latest post talks about he came to write his book "Pancakes, Pancakes". Eric writes, ""My grandmother always had a gift for me. An egg from her chickens, a jar of raspberry jam. She would tell me, "Here, Eric. Have an egg. Give it to your mother to make a pancake for you."" Eric's website offers additional materials and resources.

Denise Fleming
Denise Fleming has a facebook fan page and a website. On Denise's facebook site, she shares short little snippets about her personal life such as she has a dog named Sylvester.

On her website, Denise provides online activities to go along with each of her books as well as an "about" page where you can get to know her a little better.

Just Google it!
There are so many authors out there with websites that this post certainly wouldn't be able to share them all but you can do a simple online search by using the author's name or if you don't know the name, search for the name of the author's book and that will eventually lead you back to the author.

Why is it a good idea to share information about the author with your students?
As preschoolers get to know more about the author, they will develop a greater appreciation for the books in your classroom. It isn't about getting your students to remember a name, it is about introducing a real life person that brings meaningful experiences and words into their lives.

You will not be able to share information about every author you ever read - so don't feel under pressure to do so. Choose authors who have written some of the children's books you value the most and start there. As you do, you will naturally be able to share what you know with your students. Just like introducing an old friend.

Integrating across the curriculum
This is a big fancy way of saying that as you discover more about how an author or illustrator creates his work, you will find ways to expand and integrate those ideas into other areas of your curriculum.

For example, Eric Carle is known for using tissue paper to illustrate his books. As you share this information with your students, you can then add an art activity using tissue paper and help the children connect the dots between the the author/illustrator, the book they have just read, and the possibilities of tissue paper art.

Wrap it Up
Remember, it is great to introduce an author' or illustrator's name but that won't build connections for your preschoolers alone. Take time to discover more so that you can build connections between life and art for your students.

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Extending learning through music and fingerplays in the preschool classroom

Music and fingerplays are a wonderful tool for teaching in the preschool classroom. Do you have a favorite song or fingerplay that you sing or say often with your preschool students?

Print the words
Choose a favorite song or fingerplay that your students know well and print the words out on a large sheet of chart paper. The students already know the words by heart and now they can make the connection between what they hear, sing or say, and what they see.

Much like reading a favorite children's book, favorite songs and fingerplays can be presented to young children through print to help them draw connections between symbols and sounds. Remember, choose songs that your preschoolers already know well.

Point to the words
Once you have the words printed out, recite the song or fingerplay with your students again, only this time, point to the printed words as you do. Leave the printed page out for your preschoolers to view on their own. Some will pretend to read the words simply because they are already familiar with them.

Make word puzzles
For older preschoolers, print the words on sentence strips and then cut them apart like a puzzle. Let the children look at the printed words on the chart and see if they can recreate the words with the strips. Give your students clues like "where is the Capital letter H?" or "Where do you see a comma?".  For those of you who are artistic, you may wish to illustrate the song as well to help younger preschoolers identify the different words in the song.

Sing along
As your students work to explore the words of a song or fingerplay, sing the song aloud often or recite the fingerplay often to remind them of the sounds and words they are viewing.

Adapt
For younger students, cut the words of the songs into phrases rather than individual words. For older students, try mixing up the words and see if they can put them back together. Always leave the chart out with for easy viewing and reference.


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Preschool Quicktip #2: Reading over the shoulder

When reading aloud to a group of students, be sure to hold the book up where all of the children can see it as you read. This will help eliminate some of the complaining during story time and allow the preschoolers to stay engaged. They do want to see the pictures - so make sure they can.

Reading over your shoulder takes a little practice and coordination but it is a terrific skill that your students will appreciate. To get better at reading over your shoulder, be sure and become familiar with the book before you read it to the class - this way you will be less reliant on having to focus so much on the words and the words will come more smoothly as you read.

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Choosing the Right Books

Reading to preschoolers starts with choosing the right books. There are several points to consider when choosing books to capture a preschooler's interest and keep groups of preschoolers engaged in the story.

Illustrations: The books you choose for young children should include quality illustrations. Most preschool-age children are not yet reading and depend on the illustrations to keep them engaged and following along with what is happening in the story.

Attention Span: Preschool age children have short attention spans so look for books that are appropriate for the age group you are reading to.

Rhythm and Rhyme: There are many terrific authors who write their books with catchy rhythm and rhyme. These books are great for building pre-reading skills.

Repetition: There are also many terrific authors who write their books with repetitive phrasing. These books are also great for building pre-reading skills.

Interesting Topics: Choosing books with topics that children understand, enjoy, and can relate to is an important part of keeping children engaged in the reading process.

Learn the Difference: There is a difference between a book that is better when read one-on-one with a child and a book that works well for reading aloud to a group of students.

Do Your Homework: Take time to review the books you choose to read-aloud. See if the book you have chosen is one you enjoy as well.

Develop Your Skills: No matter how well written a children's book is, you have to be prepared and skilled at reading-aloud. This just takes practice. So be sure and practice this skill and the more you do, the more you and your young students will enjoy reading together.

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What You Should Know about Reading Aloud.

Copyright © 2009 Deborah J. Stewart, All Rights Reserved!

Reading Aloud

During the preschool years, preschoolers are developing their attitudes about the reading experience. A preschool teacher plays a major role in developing a joy for reading by creating the right reading experiences. For this reason, a preschool teacher should have a good grasp on how to best read-aloud to a group of preschool children.


When reading aloud to a group of preschoolers, keep the following points in mind.

Before Reading Aloud...

1. Choose a book that is appropriate for the age of students you are reading to.
2. Choose a book that has concepts your students can understand and relate to.
3. Review the book several times so you will be familiar with the story.
4. Consider follow-up activities that your students can do to reinforce concepts in the story.

While Reading Aloud...

1. Hold the book up with the pictures and words facing the children while you read.
2. Read aloud clearly and loud enough for every student to hear.
3. Read with emotion and changes in voice to bring the story to life.

What else to keep in mind...

• Read the book as written. Most authors will have spent many hours writing a book that has the rhythm and rhyme exactly right.
• Another reason to read the book as written: Preschoolers are learning to read and as you read the words aloud, they will begin to relate the print on the page to the words you are saying aloud.
• Read the book often to the children and it will soon become one of their favorites.
  

Remember!!! You are an important influence in a preschooler's love for reading so make reading a fun experience for everyone.


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Copyright © 2009 Deborah J. Stewart; All Rights Reserved!