First 5 Forever – Following Children’s Interests
People often ask library staff how best to encourage a love of reading in children. Janette’s answer always is to choose books that feature topics and themes your child is already interested in.
For instance, if your child loves dinosaurs, check out:
Rumble, Rumble, Dinosaur – Katrina Charman
Rumble, rumble, dinosaur! Wake up dinos near and far! Join the fun with a whole host of different dinosaurs throughout the course of one exciting day in the jungle – from the friendly brontosaurus to swooping pterodactyls, the gigantic stegosaurus, and of course the FEARSOME T-Rex. Jam-packed with dinos of every variety, this brilliant adventure provides endless fun for dinosaur fans both big and small.
I Can Roar Like a Dinosaur – Karl Newson
Mouse might be teeny-tiny-titchy-witchy, but she’s determines to show the other animals that anyone can roar like a dinosaur. With the help of her trusty How to Roar Like a Dinosaur book, Mouse gets to work getting her dino-roar back, much to the bemusement of the chattering meerkat, the grunting warthog and the ruk-ruking chameleon… But what’s that coming up behind them, with a really loud ROAR!?
Another idea is to borrow some non-fiction books such as:
The Kingfisher Dinosaur Encyclopedia – Michael J Benton
This amazing 160-page volume is the perfect comprehensive guide to the dinosaurs and prehistoric animals that once roamed Earth. Written by dinosaur expert, Michael Benton, the Kingfisher Dinosaur Encyclopedia is packed with colourful illustrations, step-by-step sequences and the latest photography to keep children engaged. Arranged thematically into kay areas, the concise text is clear, accurate, and perfectly pitched, making this an unbeatable resource for home and school.
A to Z of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals – Nancy Dickmann
Explore the prehistoric world with this striking new book. a bright, contemporary design will engage young children’s interest and maintain a fascination with dinosaurs for years to come. Each alphabet entry is accompanied by a short chunk of text, designed to appeal to young readers and encourage them to look closely at the images.
Borrowing non-fiction books also assists children to develop knowledge of their environment and society.
Another tool to encourage your child to read is to watch Story Box Library. You just need your library card number to log in and you can access hundreds of books beautifully presented on the screen that will appeal to even the reluctant reader.
Encouraging a love of reading in our children is often as easy as allowing children to choose and look at books on their own. This will give them some ownership over the content and we have all picture books labelled with the recommended age. When at home, leave the books where your child can easily access them like a basket on the floor or a low shelf. Keep some books in the car and always have a few handy in your bag for long waits at the doctor or lines at the grocery store.