Books with words or actions that appear over and over again help youngsters to predict or tell what happens next. These are "predictable" books. Children love to figure out how a story may turn out!

Try To Find

Books with repeated phrases, questions, or rhymes "predictable" books (Example: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr. - Some Primary Resources.)

What To Do

The first activities in the list below work well with younger children. As your child grows older, the later activities let her do more. But keep doing the first ones as long as she enjoys them.

Read "predictable" books to your child. Teach her to hear and name repeating words, colors, numbers, letters, animals, objects, and daily life activities. Once she gets to know a book, she may pretend to read it herself.

Pick a story that has repeated phrases or a poem you and your child like. Together, take on the voices of the characters. This part from The Three Little Pigs is a good example:

Wolf Voice: Little pig, little pig, let me come in.

Little Pig: Not by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin.

Wolf Voice: Then I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in!

Your child will learn the repeated part and have fun joining in with you each time it shows up in the story. Pretty soon, she will join in before you tell her.

"Predictable" books help children understand how stories progress. A child easily learns familiar phrases and repeats them, pretending to read. "Pretend reading" gives a child a sense of power and courage to keep trying.

Read books that give hints about what might happen next. Such books have your child lifting flaps, looking through cut-out holes in the pages, "reading" small pictures that stand for words, and searching for many other clues. Get excited along with your child as she hurries to find out what happens next.

When reading "predictable" books, ask your child what she thinks will happen. See if she points out picture clues, if she mentions specific words or phrases, or if she connects the story to something that happens in real life. These are important skills for a reader to learn.

A Home for My Books
For children ages 2 to 6

Starting a home library for your child shows him how important books are. Having books of his own in a special place boosts the chance that your child will want to read even more.

Try To Find

Books at bookstores, garage sales, flea markets, used book stores, and sales run by your neighborhood library, a bookcase, a cardboard box, or other materials to make a place for books

When collecting and reading books are a part of family life, you send your child a message that books are important, enjoyable, and full of new things to learn.

 

What To Do

Pick a special place for your child's books so he knows where to look for them. A cardboard box that you can decorate together might make a good bookcase. Or clear a shelf and make a special place for him to put his books with the family books.

Help your child arrange his books in some order his favorite books, books about animals, holiday books. Use whatever method will help him most easily find the book he's looking for.

Borrow books from your neighborhood library (see Let's Visit the Library). Go to the children's section and spend time with your child reading and selecting books to take home and put in his special place. You might even have a box or space just for library books, so they don't get mixed up with his other books.

Encourage family and friends to give books as presents to your child for birthdays and other occasions.

When you and your child make your own books, you can add them to your home library. (For ideas on making books, see As Simple as ABC and Write On!) 

Parent Pointer:

Predictable books help children understand how stories progress. A child easily learns familiar phrases and repeats them, pretending to read. Pretend reading gives a child a sense of power and courage to keep trying.

 

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