1. Children’s Books

2. Story Telling benefits to children….. Children gain verbal skills Children use their imaginations A vehicle to pass on wisdom and information

3. Infants/Toddlers Thick Pages Pictures of simple objects Large, clearly outlined pictures

4. Two-Year-Old Imitate familiar sounds Repeat their own experiences Contain large pages with big pictures Include the familiar

5. Three-Year-Old Include things and people outside of home Explain the who’s and why’s Interpret the child’s own experiences Contain words like surprise and secret

6. Four-Year-Old Include humor in reality Contain new words Explain the how’s and why’s Include exaggeration

7. Five-year-old Add something to their knowledge Take them beyond the here and now Contain new information and relationships

8. Qualities to look for in selecting children’s books….  High quality illustrations  High quality literary content  Format and content that is age appropriate for the intended audience  Multicultural in appearance and sensitivity (sometime bilingual)  Balance of gender in characters and their roles  Appealing characters  Humor  Characters reflect interests and experiences of young children  Positive and hopeful attitudes are presented

9. Why use stories and books….  To add and enrich children’s first-hand ideas  To foster social relationships  To build concepts  To develop and appreciation of books  To present information  To encourage verbal expression  To call attention to the printed word  To simulate new ideas  To provide a quiet activity or change of pace  To help children learn that people read from left to right across a page