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Learn which books will delight children at every age and help develop
a love for reading. |
Your child's bookshelves are brimming with boundless opportunities to read, learn and imagine. So when it comes time to add new books to the collection, it's important to keep your child's home library relevant to his or her age and reading level. This helps to maintain interest and a love for reading, and will help ensure that books come alive for your child. Not only does reading strengthen cognitive development, it also fosters the bond between parents and children.
"There are so many wonderful books available for young children," says Barry S. Zuckerman, MD, CEO of Reach Out and Read, a national non-profit organization that promotes early literacy by making books a routine part of pediatric care. "Consistently adding variety and new or 'new-to-you' books is important to cultivating a child's reading skills and development."
Target has partnered with Reach Out and Read to help spread the reading message to pediatrician offices throughout the nation. Through Reach Out and Read, parents receive an age-appropriate book at each well-child visit through age five. Reach Out and Read and Target have compiled tips for parents to help keep bookshelves relevant for children of all ages and stages:
For Crawlers (Birth - 18 months):
Reading is a great way to bond with your baby while he or she is still in the womb and after birth. Books of lullabies and nursery rhymes are soothing.
Newborns learn language skills from watching parents' facial expressions and listening to voice inflection. Choose books that you can sing to your child or that feature characters that you can bring to life through different voices and animated faces.
Babies show interest in books by touching, chewing or throwing them — cloth books are soft on gums and impact. As babies become more interactive, choose books that your child can hold and turn the pages, with your help.
Books with bright pictures, familiar objects and special fabrics and textures that baby can touch and feel are very engaging.
For Runners (18-36 months):
Select sturdy books for young readers. Board books are a good choice for children under three and can withstand the handling of young readers.
Choose books that follow your child's own interests. If trucks, ponies, or princesses interest your child, select books that feature them to hold his or her attention.
Books that incorporate concepts into the story are fun and educational. Reading aloud teaches the alphabet at the same time as words.
For Flyers (3-5 years):
Share something special by choosing a book that you enjoyed as a child and tell your child how you loved the book when you were his or her age.
Starting school, getting a new pet or sharing toys with a sibling? Choose books that relate to what is happening in your child's world.
Stories about issues children face like fears, separation or new siblings can be gently addressed in well-written books like Pirates Don't Change Diapers by Melinda Long and David Shannon.
For Explorers (5-7 years):
Pop-up books, flap books, and read-along stories (books with audio cassettes/DVDs) provide good reading fun for your child.
Locate books with characters that are your child's age or that share your child's name. Children love characters they can relate to.
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