Monday, July 29, 2013

eBooks?

So . . . I am often asked: What about eBooks for preschoolers? Is that OK? 

I think they are great. My opinion is that if your child is engaged with words and pictures and a storyline, that is terrific.  Whether they are turning pages or swiping a finger the important thing is that they are reading or being read to.

However, that being said . . . the other very, very important ingredient to those early literacy experiences is the intimacy. It is the togetherness, the reading to each other, the shared laughter.  You want your young child to associate reading with closeness and warmth. So be sure to stick around. Don't just hand your child a device and assume she is self-sufficient. Share the book, maintain that closeness, read together.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Make Some Summer Memories


Summer is the ideal time for you and your preschooler to create a book about his summer activities, including  vacations, visits to parks and zoos, and other memorable family times. Plan now on the best way to create a lasting memory repository. Let him dictate to you and he can illustrate pages, or use photos and other souvenirs to recount special times. Do it the old-fashioned way or scan images and create a digital scrapbook.  

Most important ingredient? Read it together. In a few weeks it will be a sweet way to relive the memories of summer and will give your young child a refresher on what he might have forgotten. If he is starting at preschool, it is likely that when school opens one of the conversations will be about what children did over the summer. Having just recalled his own happy experiences,your preschooler may be inclined to share his memories with his teacher and classmates.

What I think . . .

There are all kinds of readers. Some—like my daughter and me—are never without a book to read for pleasure. Others—like my son—are careful, analytical, and curious readers who read primarily to seek information from the page.


No matter what kind of reader your child becomes, you can help him or her get started. After all, you are your child’s first teacher. And, best of all, you can have some fun in the process.


Please feel free to share your own ideas. Tell me about ways you've enjoyed reading with your child.


Madeline Boskey, Ph.D.