Exposing Kids to Books

We love books in our house! I would say that the best way to expose kids to books would be to sit with them and read read read! But, there are other ways to expose our kids to literature. Our kids are all individuals and therefore learn in unique and different ways. There are our tactile learners, our auditory learners, our visual learners, mathematical learners...and the list goes on. We want our kids exposed to as many books as possible, while keeping in mind the way that they learn best. There are several ways that we accomplish this in our house!

Exposing Kids to books in a variety of ways is fun for everyone!



Auditory Learner: For the auditory learner go to your local library and find some favorite books on tape/cd! My kids love to sit and listen to books on tape. Sometimes they listen with the book in their hands and sometimes they listen while they play! Many of the books they love to listen to on tape they also love to sit and read. 
Teaching Tip: I noticed when my kids started turning the pages of a book while listening to them on tape they were listening very intently and also having to associate the words and pictures in order to turn the pages at the right time. This is one of the skills we encourage for early readers! Knowing that the words and pictures go together is an important skill as they are learning to read. Picture clues are helpful when kids are having trouble decoding a word. 

Visual Learner:
Matt and I have purchased some great Scholastic videos that are "still" picture movies with someone simply reading the book out loud to the kids. You would think that this is not entertaining enough for them, but the are extremely engaged even though the pictures aren't always animated. It's another fun way to re-read some of our favorite books. Keep your eyes open for these videos in the $5 dollar bin at Walmart! I also found that many of our favorite books are on you tube! I subscribed on my you tube account to something called Storyline Online. We have found some of our favorite books here...and many different celebrities and expressive readers are reading the books out loud to the kids.  Some of the books appear animated and others just display the reader and pictures from the book. This is a fun resource! All of our devices offer great reading resources for our kids. Check out the reading Apps that you can install for kids. Reading Rainbow offers unlimited books and virtual field trips for a small monthly fee. That is only one option among many...

Kinesthetic Learner:
This learner prefers using their body, hands and sense of touch to learn. This child will love to act out the stories that you read. Try reading them stories and then creating a play or activity that gets them moving and reinacting their favorite parts of the story! I often find my kids acting out the bible story we have read in the morning during their play time. Provide some simple props and let them go!

Solitary Learner:
For the solitary learner try creating a fun and special place in your house for them to read! Pintrest has some great ideas for how to create a fun and comfortable reading nook for your kids! Try using an old crib mattress, some bean bags, or even a place in the closet with a special reading light to create a reading get away for your kids to escape to when they want some alone time with a great book! Have them create the space with you and get them excited about the time they get to spend in their special space!