In an age where every toddler knows how to navigate an iPhone, we must not forget the importance of real hands-on books.  Before children can even read, they are chewing on books, throwing books, flipping through the pages like there’s a prize at the end.  Even as adults, many people have various happy childhood memories that revolve around books.

The connection between books and language development

Many times, what some don’t realize is how much those books help to enrich our language. From the time that children are looking at board books and adults are able to describe what the children are looking at, to the age when they can sit and listen to a story being read, children are learning aspects of language development through books. Books are tools for children to pair words with pictures, build vocabulary, build attention, and build memories.

Ideas for using books

Here are a few ideas to get you started in using real, paper books to explore ideas and concepts.

• Teach the concept of “hungry” with The Very Hungry Caterpillar. 
• Teach the concept of “imagination” with Where the Wild Things Are or Harold and the Purple Crayon. 
• Teach the idea that we don’t need to have big reactions to little problems with Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.  
• Teach perseverance with The Little Engine That Could. 
• Teach problem solving with Little Blue Truck. 
• For older children, teach friendship, tolerance, hardship with Number the Stars.
• Or just have a little fun with Sideways Stories From Wayside School. 

The point is there are so many things to be learned from books. Not to say that technology isn’t a good thing, but don’t let books disappear because of technology.  

Are you concerned about your child’s literacy development?  Contact us to set up an appointment with one of our speech-language pathologists.