Let’s Talk about Books!
In one our post last week, I discussed how I am passionate about making home carryover for therapy accessible by encouraging families to utilize the activities you’re already doing. Things you’re likely already completing that we can work to make meaningful and rich with communication may include:
Bathtime
Mealtimes, especially snack
Cooking & preparing meals
Grocery shopping
Getting dressed
Brushing teeth
Bedtime routines, including shared book reading
So now, we’re going to focus on that last one - shared book reading!! There’s a lot of research out there on the benefits of shared book reading, especially when parents, educators, and clinicians have the right tools to make it meaningful. So let’s dive in!
If you’ve seen one of my therapy sessions before, you’ve likely observed me to utilize a book during therapy! It’s one of my absolute favorite therapy materials and access to books is often FREE thanks to your local public libraries. But so often I hear from families, “my kids just not interested in books”. So let’s go through some tips and tricks for getting your kids jazzed about books.
Note: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Choosing a book!
First, we have to choose a book. Here are some tips for choosing books:
If your child is hesitant to sit with a book, start with books about their favorite things. This can be characters like Bluey and Spongebob or other interests such as trains, dinosaurs, etc.
Books with lift-the-flaps or other engaging aspects (pull tabs, pop-up books, music, etc.) can also be great options for books for reluctant kids.
Don’t be afraid to judge a book by it’s pictures – striking, high contrast, few words!
Get the kids engaged!
Once you’ve chosen a book, here are some tips to add engagement:
Add manipulatives or toys! This is my all-time favorite recommendation to make about reading picture books with kids. If you’re reading a book about farm animals, grab some farm animal toys and a toy farm. Examples:
Little Blue Truck with farm animal manipulatives (from puzzles or your toy box)
Good night Gorilla with zoo animal manipulatives (from puzzles or your toy box)
Mrs. Wishy Washy Farm - bring this book to the bath with you with a cow, duck, and pig!
Repeat, repeat, repeat!
Read the same book more than once! Often, I’ll share with parents to choose a “book of the week”. With a schedule that looks something like this:
Monday: Just look at the pictures, make it as far as you can but try stopping before your child loses interest.
Tuesday: Continue looking at the pictures! Talk about what the characters are doing, what they look like, where they are located.
Wednesday: Read the book! Be animated & have fun!! Bring in your manipulatives, if available. Make comments but avoid asking questions.
Thursday: Read the book again! Try asking a couple questions, if possible, throughout the story. Use the manipulatives you have more and encourage your child to act out part of the story.
Friday: Have your child tell the story. As you flip through the book, wait in anticipation, act confused and wait for them to share.
Expand on the story!
Let’s say that you’ve spent the week reading “If you give a Mouse a Cookie”, spend some time on the weekend making cookies or doing pretend play with cookies (my fave set here!). Try thinking of ways you can incorporate what you’ve talked about in your book that week through real-life experiences. Maybe drive by a local farm and talk about what animals you see. Go to the pond and talk about the ducks. Bake cupcakes. Do a craft related to your story!
If you’ve made it this far, KUDOS!
Take what works for you and your family from this and leave the rest. Try a couple things and see if it increases your child’s interest in the book. If you have additional questions, reach out to us at hello@wherelanguageblooms.com.
Check out some of our posts on Instagram for additional book ideas!
If you’re interested in learning more, reach out to us via our Contact page and schedule a time for parent coaching on shared book reading or a number of other topics we love!
