Choosing Books Books for two and three year olds should take about 2-3 minutes to read. Four and five year olds may sit longer, depending upon their maturity and other factors. Use the children’s librarians to help you choose books. They also can direct you to helpful references and to book lists. Select books with big, colorful pictures that capture attention and interest. Simple story lines work best. Avoid books with more space taken up by words than by pictures. Preschoolers enjoy books with rhythm, rhyme and repetition. They love pop-up books and books with sounds that they can imitate (like a squeaky mouse or a roaring lion). They love books in which there is magic. Monsters, dragons and dinosaurs are fascinating too. Of course fiction is good, but so are short poetry collections, books about real people or places and books about nature. Make sure the books are illustrated well! Avoid books that glorify violence, promote stereotypes or belittle anyone. Practice reading the books aloud until you know them very well. Using a mirror helps! Remember: You'll be holding the book upside down, so the children can see the pictures, or you may be holding it up high at an angle, so they can see. Take more books with you than you plan to read. If the children don't like what you are reading, you can then switch to another book. If you fill a Ready Readers' book bag (we'll give you one) with books and have some extra time, yu might let the children take out books and read them to themselves or to each other for a few minutes too.

		Before you start... When you read, you can sit or stand. Just make sure that you are comfortable physically before positioning the children. Position the children in a semi-circle around you. (Ask if they have “sit-upons.”) If you have a small group, you may want to sit at a small round table with the children in chairs. Be sure each child can see the book and assure the children that you will move it around so everyone can see the pictures. Settle the children by using the same ritual each time you begin. You can use any attention-getting ritual, such as a fingerplay, song, poem or other device. (See “Using Cues,” below) You can also use these rituals between books.

		Whatever you enjoy doing, the children will enjoy too. Here are some favorite hints... Use the same routine before each reading session to "set the stage." This can be as simple as getting them seated around you, making sure everyone can see, and going over the rules. Some people bring a "reading aid," such as a puppet or other toy, to use as part of their routine. The puppet or toy, in its "own" voice, conducts the opening ritual for you. First, open the book to the title page. Read the title and the names of the author and illustrator. Explain that the title is the name of the book; the author wrote the story; and the illustrator made the pictures. Don't hurry through the pages. Take your time on each page and move the book slowly back and forth to make sure everyone can see every picture. (If a child still says she can't see, and you are holdng the book below the level of your head, make sure you can see the child. If you can, tell the child you can see her, so you know she can see you and the book too.) Point out interesting details in the pictures-- characters, shapes, colors, numbers. Ask them to tell you what they see too (such as particular shapes, colors, etc.). Involve the children in the book as much as possible. Ask them to repeat or complete a phrase or a rhyme. Make exaggerated sounds and have them do so too. Change the pitch and tone of your voice for different characters in the book. Ask questions: “What do you see?” “What do you think will happen next?” “What color is this?” “Is this polite?” “Is there a widget at your house?” “How many ducks are there?” Call the children by their names if you can. Vary and exaggerate facial expressions. Make sounds and have them repeat them. If someone knocks, bangs, whistles, etc. In a book, you and the kids can too! Leave off the last word of a rhyming couplet and see if the kids can supply it. At the end of a book, say “The end,” and close the book. Ask follow up questions: Did you like this story? What does it mean "to share" (like the little mouse did)?

		Using Cues Cues give children ways to control their behavior themselves. When you first use a cue, you must tell the children what you expect them to do when they see or hear it. Demonstrate. For example: When I do this (move your finger across your mouth), I want you to zip your lips up and be very quiet. When I cup my ears like this (show them), I want you to put your listening ears on and listen carefully to me. Help any child who doesn’t understand, but don’t repeat your verbal explanation to the whole group. The most important cue to give children is helping them understand that you are there because you like and believe in them. Here are some cues that help settle children, teach them listening skills and help them control behaviors: Clap a rhythm and have the children copy you to signal that you are starting a new book. Use a quick rhyme, like “1-2-3! Eyes on me!” Use hand signals. You can make them up. Use the same signal consistently to mean the same thing. Fingerplays are rhymes you can act out with your fingers, hands and body. I wiggle my fingers; I wiggle my toes; I wiggle my shoulders; I wiggle my nose. Now all the wiggles are out of me, and I’m as quiet as I can be! (Shhh...) One, two, buckle my shoe. Three, four, shut the door. Five, six, pick up chicks. Seven,eight, lay them straight. Nine, ten, a big fat hen. Open them; shut them; open them; shut them. Give your hands a clap, clap, clap. Open them; shut them; open them; shut them. Lay them in your lap. Hands on shoulders; hands on knees; hands behind you if you please. Touch your head; now, touch your toes; hands up high; now touch your nose. FOR MORE HINTS, READERS CAN JOIN OUR ONLINE CHAT ROOM!

		Preventing and handle problems... If the children will be on the floor, ask if the school has "sit-upons." (Small carpet squares or rounds help keep children from crowding each other.) Tell the children the rules. Example: "When I read this book, I promise that everyone will see the pictures. So please wait until I move the page to show you a picture. I will always do this, and you will always see them." Name tags help you establish rapport and help focus a child's attention. Until you know the children's names, ask the teacher if they have name tags and will put them on the kids before you come. If the class doesn't have name tags, get a list of the children's names and make your own stick-on tags along until you learn their names. If a child seems uninterested or inattentive, try asking him or her a question that you know he or she can answer. Stay positive and upbeat! Use finger play or other short rituals as a break between books if the children seem tired or fussy. (See using cues) Don't push too hard. This is supposed to be FUN for them. So if they aren't in the mood to listen to you read a book, try coaxing them into it by telling them the story in your own words without using the book. The eye contact will sometimes settle the group. After this, ask if they liked the story. If so, say that your story came from a book. Then ask if you can tell them another story-- with pictures. Show them another book and begin reading it. They may listen to you to read to them this time. Bring along stickers sometimes. They can be an incentive for everyone in a group to behave as expected. Don't give them out to some children and not others, however. Give them to everyone if the group behaves as you ask. It's okay to stop reading a book that the group seems to dislike and pick up a different one. If the children have a favorite book, tell them you will read it to them if they will listen to a wonderful new one first! Then do so...They often like repetition! If a child seems unable to focus at all, or if you can't keep a child from disrupting the group, ask the teacher to help keep the child busy outside the group this time. To focus an inattentive child, call him/her by name if possible.

See great ideas for readers when giving away our gift books here.