Making a Decision: Who is Teaching My Child? A Five Part Series on Choosing a Preschool

Research indicates preschool education has many benefits for children.  In addition to exposure to curriculum including literacy experiences, mathematical concepts, and science activities, a high quality preschool gives children the opportunity to learn how to socialize, to share and to contribute to society.  Making a sound decision about early childhood education is a crucial for a successful start on your child’s lifelong educational journey and there are many aspects to evaluate:  teachers, curriculum, philosophies, safety, family partnerships, and environment.  So, how do you make the right choice?

In this part we will discuss what should be the deciding factor:  Teachers!  The adults who interact with your child on a daily basis are key to a positive experience for your child!  A warm hug to ease separation anxiety or, conversely, a stern raised eyebrow inappropriately can affect how children perceive themselves and also affect their trust in others.   Whether you are considering family care, a nanny, or a center-based program, the people who care for and educate your child are of the utmost importance.  Visit the prospective school and observe the teachers’ interactions with children.   You should see:

q  Teachers in engaged two-way conversations with children

q  Teachers interacting at the children’s eye level

q  Teachers who are warm, patient and friendly

q  Teachers using gentle voices and an encouraging manner

q  Teachers and children with lots of smiles and happy faces

q  A classroom filled with happy sounds

q  Teachers who are organized and prepared

q  Teachers giving children the opportunity to choose activities.

q  Low Turnover

Watch to see if the teacher is actively listening, rather than pre-occupied or distracted with other events in the room, or being dismissive to a child.  During active listening you should see the teacher smile, nod, or acknowledge with her body posture she is interested in what the child has to say.  Active listening builds a child’s confidence and self worth.  Compare the spoken and unspoken interactions you see to those you would see in conversation between two adults who respect each other, and you should see similarities in body language, interest and intensity. 

Did you know the national average of turnover in child care staff is 30%!!!  At Kangaroo Kids we are so fortunate to have an outstanding staff who year after year have demonstrated their commitment to children and families!  We proudly boast that every lead teacher has been with Kangaroo Kids 7 or more years!  Therefore our turnover rate among our lead teachers is Zero.

According to Child Research.net a key to providing quality programs is retention of child care staff, the average annual turnover rate for child care is 30% in the United States.  Consequently, there have been a large number of studies conducted to wrestle with the issues of turnover. 

“Among the research examining the quality of early childhood programs, rate of job turnover for child care staff seems to be a strong indicator of program quality (Cassidy, Lower, Kintner-Duffy, Hegde, & Shim, 2011; Mims, Scott-little, Lower, Cassidy, & Hestenes, 2008). Raikes (1993), for example, explained that frequent turnover among early childhood teachers prevented children from developing a secure attachment with teachers. In addition, teachers' high turnover negatively affected children's social, emotional, and language development (Korjenevitch & Dunifon, 2010). Not only the relationship between teachers and children, but the relationship between teachers and parents also suffered from high turnover (Cassidy et al., 2011).

  

Teachers should be organized and well prepared.  Children should have an opportunity to choose activities.  A well-prepared and organized teacher provides a role model of organizational skills for children.  Choosing their own activities enhances children’s decision-making skills and sends the message that they and their choices are worthy!  Making good decisions is a lifelong skill you want children to develop as early as possible so it carries them through their teenage years where their decision-making skills will constantly be tested.  

Good teachers are energetic.  They enjoy the process of teaching and engaging with children.   They look for teachable moments, whether it is a butterfly going by, a leaf falling, or a chance to teach positive social interactions. 

Watch for upcoming articles on safety, environment, curriculum, and parent involvement.

Help Your Child Fall In Love With Reading

Schools all over the world will celebrate Dr. Seuss’s Birthday on March 2^nd.   It is also the start of “Read Across America”, the National Education Association’s annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on March 2, the birthday of beloved children's author Dr. Seuss.

Reading is one of the key components for academic success! 

Help your child fall in love with reading by making it a special time with you!  Here are a few tips to help your child become a reader: 

·      Talk with your child — even infants — this increases language development.

·       Make reading time fun by being animated and dynamic when you read!

·       Role model reading.

·       Ask open-ended questions that encourage a sense of wonder, imagination and creative thinking.  Typical open-ended questions are “How” and “Why” questions and questions that don’t have one specific answer.  They teach children to think and be creative!!  

What you can do to help your child be successful at reading:

1. Babble back to your infants
2. Use “parentese” with your infant (high pitched voice)
3. Encourage conversation
4. Teach site words. e.g., McDonalds, Lucky Charms, Barney
5. Dramatic play and using props such as puppets can be great opportunities for conversation
6. Speak another language you are wiring the brain for a lifetime of multiple languages
7. Encourage drawing and inventive spelling
8. Script – write their story and make it into a book
9. In addition to reading stories, include rhymes, songs and other languages (Frere Jacques)
10. Place labels on furniture and objects in  your child’s environment to create a print rich environment
11. Make shopping lists with your child
12. Read and cook recipes together
13. Look for letters on the Menu when you go out to eat
14. Look in magazines for pictures that begin with the letter you are studying and cut them out.
15. Make an alphabet book
16. Read a book and then ask children a few questions to test their comprehension
17. Glue letters from an alphabet cereal on a piece of paper.
18. Put alphabet cereal on a plate and help children make their names out of the cereal
19. Keep magnetic letters on the refrigerator.
20. Make up silly songs starting with the letter you are studying.
21. Talk to your child
22. Sing with your child
23. Read to your child everyday
24. Make up silly rhyming songs with your child
25. Provide writing materials
26. Limit television watching and when you do watch, be sure to guide your children to appropriate shows
27. Role model reading
28. Visit libraries and bookstores
29. Select a quality child care program
30. Read to children and ask them to predict what will happen next.

Here are some tips from the National Association for the Education of Young Children to promote reading at home. Tips to help your child fall in love with reading!

Help You Child Become a Problem Solver

In Today’s fast paced society where everyone is connected at all times we expect immediate answers and solutions.  These demands can cause a great deal of stress for adults as well as for children. 

Teaching children to take the time and steps necessary to become problem solvers can alleviate stress and inappropriate responses to challenges.  Here are some great tips from the National Association for the Education of Young Children to help your child become a problem solver.  

http://families.naeyc.org/child-development/help-your-child-become-great-problem-solver        Problem Solving

Beat Brain Drain

Beat Brain Drain

Help your kid's reading skills soar during summer break with these words of advice from literacy experts. By Michelle Crouch from Parents Magazine

When Kelley Dolling's first-grade students go on summer vacation, they forget a lot of the reading skills they've learned. "I talk to their second-grade teachers, and find out that many children who were doing great in June are struggling in September," says Dolling, who teaches in Cottonwood, California. "We call it the summer slide."

Indeed, studies show that students who read little, if at all, when school's out can lose valuable ground. And since many 7- and 8-year-olds are just becoming competent readers, it's especially important for them to spend time practicing. Read up on how to make books a fun part of your family's summer routine.

Say Yes More Often

Chances are, your child will receive a recommended summer reading list from his school, but don't limit him to those books, suggests Richard Allington, Ph.D., past president of the International Reading Association. A review of 28 studies found that students read more and learn best when they're allowed to select their own material. "It isn't that hard to get kids to read during the summer -- it's hard to get them to read the books you want them to read," Dr. Allington says. His advice? Take your child to the library or bookstore once a week and let him decide what he wants to read. That means not objecting if he chooses a Justin Bieber biography, the latest issue of Sports Illustrated Kids, or Captain Underpants, a graphic novel. After all, what you really want is for your child to develop a love of reading, and that's unlikely to happen if you're forcing him to read about things he's not interested in. If he's having trouble choosing, suggest these teacher favorites: The World According to Humphrey, by Betty G. Birney, the A to Z Mysteries series, by Ron Roy, and Gooney Bird Greene, by Lois Lowry.

Make It Special

You want your child to be as enthusiastic about reading as she is about splashing around in the neighborhood pool or playing on her Minecraft app. So you've got to sell it a little -- at least until she gets so hooked that you have to pry her away to do something else. You can entice reluctant readers with "drop everything and read" time. You simply shout "DEAR time!" once a day and everyone in the family (including you) grabs a book and reads for at least 15 minutes. (Snag ideas for yourself from our Mom Must Read blog at parents.com/blogs.) Make cozy nooks around the house with colorful beanbags, pillows, and a few books or set up a reading tent in the backyard.

Think Beyond Books

Don't forget about all the other text in your child's world. When you're at the playground, grocery store, or amusement park, encourage him to look carefully at the signs. "New, reluctant readers may get overwhelmed by a book, but if they're just reading about their favorite animal at the zoo, they're more motivated because they really want to understand what the words say," explains Denise Boehm, a second-grade teacher in Weston, Florida.

Offer a Reward

Many bookstores, public libraries, and elementary schools have summer reading initiatives with prizes. They work! A study at Dominican University, in River Forest, Illinois, found that incoming fourth-graders who took part in a library program significantly improved their reading skills during the summer break. The Barnes & Noble summer reading program (barnesandnoble.com) will give your child a free book for participating, or you can try to tempt her with the 10 tokens given for filling out the Chuck E. Cheese's (chuckecheese.com) reading rewards calendar.

Go Digital

If your kid loves screens, consider getting him a tablet or download a few e-books at his level and let him read on yours for a change. Websites can also boost reading skills. Ask your child's teacher if his school has a subscription to an online reading program such as Reading A-Z or Lexia that you can log on to over the summer. Or try Abcya.com, a free site that offers sight-word games, storybooks, and other activities organized by grade level. Just remember: One of the best strategies for motivating your child to read over the break is to limit overall screen time. "If your child has easy access to electronics that provide fun with little effort, reading is naturally going to be a tougher sell," says Daniel Willingham, Ph.D., a cognitive scientist at the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville. So stash books in the car, and the next time your child says he's bored, leave your smartphone in your purse and ask him to read a story to you instead.

Originally published in the June 2013 issue of Parents magazine.

Handwriting Tips

From worksheets to short essays, there are a lot of assignments for your kid to crank out -- and his teacher has to be able to read them. "Despite the increasing amount of technology in classrooms, a child's schoolwork still is mostly handwritten," says pediatric occupational therapist Jan Z. Olsen, founder of the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum program. "Teachers think good penmanship is crucial for communicating effectively." In fact, less than half of first- to third-grade teachers said that their students' handwriting was fast enough to keep up with classroom demands, found a Vanderbilt University poll.

If your child is struggling to put his words down on paper, he'll have less energy to focus on what he wants to say. Switching to a computer isn't the solution. Second-graders generated more ideas when writing by hand than by using a keyboard, University of Wisconsin researchers report. A sliver of kids who write illegibly, have a hard time forming letters, or find it difficult to complete written assignments may lack graphomotor skills and may benefit from occupational therapy.

Still, many kids with penmanship problems simply aren't getting enough practice. Bridge the gap at home with these clever ways to start off right.

Invisible Ink

Trace letters and simple words on your child's back and see if she can guess what you're writing. Then, swap and have her "write" a letter or word on you. Focus on the letters that are hardest for kids this age. Another Vanderbilt University study found that j, k, n, q, u, and z account for 48 percent of the mistakes when kids attempted to write the lowercase letters of the alphabet. How-to videos at parents.com/handwriting can help you teach your child these tricky letters.

Get a Grip

Kids who don't hold a pencil correctly may get tired of writing. Slide-on rubber grips, sold at school-supply stores, might help. But try a fun alternative: a small pencil, like the ones used in mini golf. Save them for games of pretend. Tell your child to imagine he's a waiter and have him write down your order. Or encourage him to dress up like a rock star; then ask for his autograph.

Picture This

Take out the markers or crayons and draw a single capital letter on a piece of unlined paper. Ask your child to make the chosen letter part of a bigger picture. She might turn a capital I into a butterfly or transform an O into an octopus. As she decorates the letter, she'll also be focusing on its shape.

Outsider Art

Using sidewalk chalk, have your child write a giant note that could be seen from outer space, then a tiny one for ants to read. (Or if your lawn looks like a winter wonderland, ask your glove-clad kid to write letters in the snow.)

Mail Tale

Buy a notebook and ask your child to keep a journal for a week. Send it to a relative to add comments on your child's week, record a week in her life, and mail it on to another loved one. The last person should mail it back to your child. She'll get reading practice too!

Pick a Winner

Designate one night a week as activity night. Help your child write down stuff he'd like to do on slips of paper and place them in a jar: Suggest games (board, card, or sports), movies, or whatever interests him (building with Legos or baking muffins). When it's time, have your kid choose one and ask him to add a fresh idea to keep the jar fun-filled.

Love Notes

Leave surprise messages for your child -- on her pillow, the bathroom mirror, or in her backpack. End each one with a question, and ask her to write an answer on the back and leave it for you in a surprise location as well.

Minute Man

Get into the habit of asking your kid to write things for you. Dictate shopping lists, have him address envelopes, and jot down reminders on the family calendar. The more practice, the better.

Tools of the Trade

Stock up on office supplies. Collect awesome writing tools (gel pens, scented markers, funny-shaped pencils) and all sorts of paper (lined sticky notes, doodle pads). Stow them in strategic spots around the house. She'll also be more psyched to scrawl if her pencil has a cute eraser.

Originally published in the January 2013 issue of Parents magazine.

Celebrating Children, Building The Future

Week of the Young Child 2013 Theme:

“Early Years Are Learning Years”

The Week of the Young Child is an annual event sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).  NAEYC, the world’s largest early childhood education association, has nearly 90,000 members and is committed to providing and promoting excellence in early childhood education.  The primary goal of the Week of the Young Child is to celebrate and bring attention to the unique qualities and needs of young children and their families.   Also, the Week of the Young Child is a time to honor the educators and other professionals who nurture and provide safe, loving educational environments that can greatly impact the lives of young children.  This year’s theme is “Early Years Are Learning Years.” 

The Week of the Young Child was first established by NAEYC in 1971 and honors more than 35 million children nationwide aged between infancy and eight, and the families, teachers, caregivers, and other adults who help children make the most of the opportunities of their early years.  The event was created to focus on the fact that a child’s future academic and professional success has its’ foundations in the care the child is afforded during the formative years (birth through five).   Popular literature illustrates that during these early years children develop essential social, physical, cognitive and communicative abilities and that the level of these abilities are greatly advanced in the presence of constant, responsive and consistent care.  In today’s economic times, where many families have two working parents, the importance of high quality early childhood programs is critical.  High quality interactions include, but are not limited to, sustained and engaged play, open-ended conversations, individualized learning experiences and recognition of the importance of family involvement. 

Approximately 13 million infants, toddlers, and preschool children are regularly in non-parental care in the United States, including 45% of children younger than one year.  Young children and their families depend on high-quality education and care, which help children get a great start and bring lasting benefits to New Jersey.  The Week of the Young Child is also a time to recognize the importance of early learning and early literacy, and to celebrate the teachers and policies that bring early childhood education to young children.

Kangaroo Kids, a NAEYC accredited school celebrated this special week with a unique schedule of events.  They kicked off the week with special treats for families.  Children had special events all week in their classes, which emphasize the importance of literacy, staying fit and giving back to the community.  The also studied the arts by creating their rendition of famous artists.  Kangaroo Kids also hosted a Scholastic Book Fair to emphasize the importance of literacy. Finally, Kangaroo Kids brought the Week of the Young Child to a close by having an ice-cream social.  A perfect opportunity to enjoy a delicious treat while socializing with classmates and reflecting upon the week! 

You can celebrate the at home every day as well!  Take a moment to read a special book or work on a

cooperative craft or art project.  Be creative paint with a car instead of a traditional brush! Children love helping in the kitchen and will be thrilled to help prepare dinner or dessert for the family.  If you are going to bake something with your child, perhaps you can even make extra and bring the baked goods to a local nursing home, shelter or other community institution!  Community outings are always special and places such as libraries and children’s museums host many family friendly events.  Please don’t forget that the best possible way to connect with your child is simply to talk to them.  Drop the cell phone, put away the computer, get at their eye level and engage your child in sustained conversation.  A free and invaluable way to get into the mind and heart of your child!

If you would like information about upcoming programs at Kangaroo Kids or a list of special activities you can do with your child call 908-231-7800 or email us at staff@kangarookidschildcare.com     

Be A Kangaroo Kid for A Day

If you have never tried Kangaroo Kids April is your opportunity to experience their outstanding curriculum, caring professional teachers and family friendly environment!

April is nationally acclaimed as Week of the Young Child and as a part of the celebration Kangaroo Kids Child Care and Learning Center is offering new students a free day of child care! Just call anytime during April to schedule your child's day of free child care!

Kangaroo Kids Child Care and Learning Center was awarded #1 child care center in America by the National Association of Child Care Professionals and is one of only 7% of schools nationwide to achieve accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Twenty two of their “Hall of Fame,” staff members have been with Kangaroo Kids for a combined total of 260 years…so you never have to worry about high turnover, or inexperienced staff members. In fact, Three teachers at Kangaroo Kids have been awarded the prestigious honor of Teacher of the Year by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

“We are proud to be being leaders in education of young children since 1991 and of providing high quality early childhood education programs for children from 6 weeks old through 9 years of age. Kangaroo Kids has infant, toddler and preschool programs as well as before and after school activities, summer camp and a full day private school kindergarten,” Said Director Kathy Feigley.

“Early Years Are Learning Years,” is the theme of the nationally celebrated Week of the Young Child. As part of the national Week of the Young Child™ Kangaroo Kids is honoring young children and all those who make a difference in children’s lives. Festivities will be held throughout the country during the week of April 23-27, 2012.

Kangaroo Kids will celebrating the week with an ice cream social, a book fair, and a visit from Clifford the Big Red Dog. They will also host a Joy of Reading program where friends, families, and the community will come to read to the children. Kangaroo Kids kindergarteners will also be sharing their new reading skills with their younger classmates. The kick off on Monday will be a breakfast to go honoring the Mom’s and Dad’s at Kangaroo Kids who provide a loving home environment and a partnership with the educators at Kangaroo Kids. The community is welcome to participate in any of the Week of the Young Child events. The book fair will be open every day from 8am to 6pm.

Young children and their families depend on high-quality education and care, which help children get a great start and bring lasting benefits to the future of our country. Week of the Young Child™ is a time to recognize the importance of early learning and early literacy, and to celebrate the teachers and policies that bring early childhood education to young children.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), is the largest organization of early childhood educators and others dedicated to improving the quality of early education programs for children birth through age 8. Founded in 1926, NAEYC has nearly 80,000 members.

You can also "like" us on our facebook page at Kangaroo Kids Child Care to learn more about the April Events or call 908-231-7800.

25 Tips To Encourage Literacy In Young Children

1. Babble back to your infants
2. Encourage conversation
3. Teach site words – McDonalds, Lucky Charms, Barney
4. Speak another language
5. Encourage drawing and inventive spelling
6. Script what children say about their drawings – write their story, make it into a book
7. Fall in love with language, rhymes, songs and role model reading
8. Label your child’s environment
9. Make shopping lists with your child
10. Cook and read recipes together
11. Look for letters on the Menu when you go out to eat
12. Cut pictures out of magazines that begin with a letter you are studying.
13. Make an alphabet book
14. Read a book and then ask children questions to test their comprehension
15. Glue letters from an alphabet cereal on a piece of paper.
16. Put alphabet cereal on a plate and help child make their name out of the cereal.
17. Keep magnetic letters on the refrigerator
18. Make up silly songs starting with the letter you are studying.
19. Talk to your child
20. Sing with your child
21. Read to your child everyday
22. Limit television watching and watch appropriate shows
23. Visit libraries and bookstores
24. Select a quality child care
25. Read to children and ask them to predict what will happen next.

Read Across America

Read Across America is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on March 2, the birthday of beloved children's author Dr. Seuss.

Now in its fifteenth year, Read Across America focuses on motivating children and teens to read through events, partnerships, and reading resources. Reading is one of the most important foundations in your child’s academic foundations. Encourage a love of reading by reading to your child every day. It is important to be animated, enthusiastic, and entertaining when you read! Join Kangaroo Kids in promoting a yearlong love of reading by coming in to read at the school. Don’t forget to visit your local library with your family!

For more ideas to celebrate Read Across America http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/dr-seuss-birthday/ or http://www.nea.org/grants/886.htm

Make Gathering Leaves A Learning Opportunity

A nature stroll to collect leaves can end with a math, science or literacy lesson! Have your children collect leaves then discuss how the transformation of leaves occur from green to the many beautiful colors of autumn as a science lesson. If you need a little help explaining photosynthesis and the entire leaf changing process visit this website http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/leaves.html.

For your math lesson count, compare, and match the various sizes, shapes, and colors of the leaves! You can create your very Leaf Books by pasting the leaves into a few pieces of folded construction paper or by placing a leaf under the page and rubbing a crayon over the leaf to create a leaf rubbing book.

Children learn best through song so you can also sing a favorite fall song.

Here is a simple one to try:
Sung to: "Farmer in the Dell"

The leaves are falling down
The leaves are falling down
Red, yellow, green, and brown
The leaves are falling down

Amazing how a beautiful leaf can create so many learning opportunities!

Rover will like this Sensory Fun!

Here is an activity that will give you a sense of accomplishment while your child is having a fun sensory experience. Get a big bucket of water and the doggie shampoo and wash the dog together! You can teach your child about the fascinating chemistry of how the bubbles form (if you need a little help visithttp://chemistry.about.com/od/bubbles/a/bubblescience.htm ), or give your child a lesson in kindness to people and pets to reinforce social skills during the bathing!

Caterpillar's Get a Haircut

The grand finale of the caterpillar project was a haircut! It was great fun plus a wonderful fine motor activity to enhance writing skills!

Oh my NO TV?!?!

Here are a few ideas of other things to do during Turn Off Your TV:
1. Volunteer in a school to teach reading, math, computer skills.
2. Learn to play the guitar or other musical instrument.
3. Attend community concerts.
4. Organize a community clean-up.
5. Put together a puzzle.
6. Visit the library. Borrow a book. Attend library activities.
7. Go ice skating or roller skating.
8. Listen to the radio.
9. Visit the zoo.
10. Paint a picture, a mural or a room.
11. Attend a high school sporting event.
12. Find out about your area's community center or park's activities.
13. Go swimming. Join a community swim team.
14. Read a book aloud to your younger sister/brother.
15. Plan a picnic or barbecue.
16. Go bird watching.
17. Volunteer for a community organization or charity.
18. Play with your pet.
19. Go dancing.
20. Write a letter to a friend or relative.
21. Learn to cook.
22. Plant a flower, vegetable or herb garden.
23. Read magazines or newspapers.
24. Plan a slumber party.
25. Start a neighborhood basketball, soccer, or kickball game.
26. Go camping (even if it's just in the backyard!).
27. Join a choir.
28. Go through your closets and clothes. Donate surplus items to Goodwill, the Salvation Army or a local rummage sale.
29. Start a diary/journal.
30. Go to a museum.
31. Take a nature hike. Collect seeds and leaves. Make a collage with the materials you collected and post it on the refrigerator.
32. Play cards.
33. Start a community exercise group that power walks, runs, or bikes.
34. Read a story to your younger brother or sister.
35. Get out the family photo album. Research your family history.
36. Go listen to a local band.
37. Make crafts to give as gifts.
38. Make up a story and write it down.
39. Learn to say simple phrases in a few different languages.
40. Ask an older family member to tell you a story about his or her childhood. Write about it.
41. Learn some new riddles or jokes.
42. Bake two batches of cookies; one for your family and one for a neighbor.
43. Watch the night sky through binoculars; identify the different constellations. Observe the moon.
44. Visit a local bookstore.
45. Go to a movie with your family or friends.
46. Walk to work or school.
47. Start a kids bowling league.
48. Train for a 5K race.
49. Teach a neighbor about a computer program.
50. Go fishing.
51. Begin a family project.
52. HAVE A PARTY TO CELEBRATE A TV-FREE WEEK.
These were prepared by tvturnoff.org. You can find more information at http://www.turnoffyourtv.com/turnoffweek/TV.turnoff.week.html

Choosing A Good Book For Your Child

How to Choose Good Books For Your Child

“One approach is to look for award-winning books. There are two famous awards for children's literature made each year by the American Library Association that are good indicators of quality work: the Caldecott Medal for illustration and the Newbery Medal for writing. But these are given to only two of the approximately 2,500 new children's books published each year,” according to Kathryn Perkinson from the United States Department of Education. Your local librarian can give your recommendations of books best suited to your child’s age and interests.

You can also go to http://www.parents.com/fun/book-gallery/ to find some of the best books for your child, organized by age. Scholastic also has many suggestions for books to read with your infant and toddler at http://www.scholastic.com/resources/article/choose-books-for-your-baby-and-toddler/.

Reading a variety of books to children including alphabet, number, narrative, predictable, rhyming, fiction, non-fiction, and poetry books give children a vast experience with books.

Reading books with a plot also teaches children that stories have a beginning, middle, and end which helps with their recall and their ability to comprehend sequences of events.

For young children you want to make sure the books are durable, so choosing a cloth book for babies and a cardboard book for toddlers is a helpful so they can explore the books on their own.

Happy Reading!