{"id":101,"date":"2018-09-09T00:05:44","date_gmt":"2018-09-09T00:05:44","guid":{"rendered":"https://theempoweredprovider.com/?p=101"},"modified":"2020-01-10T22:11:02","modified_gmt":"2020-01-10T22:11:02","slug":"teaching-kids-to-care-for-books","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https://theempoweredprovider.com/teaching-kids-to-care-for-books/","title":{"rendered":"How to Teach Kids to Care for Books"},"content":{"rendered":"

While it might be less stressful to keep your ‘best books’ up on a high shelf, putting them within reach and teaching kids how to care for books<\/strong> will have a much greater impact on their experience in your program.<\/p>\n

In an earlier post<\/a>, I openly admitted that at one time or another I was not very good at sharing my supplies with the kids in my care.<\/p>\n

I think the practice of ‘saving supplies and materials for a special occasion’ is more common than one would think.<\/p>\n

In my experience, kids tend to rise up to the expectations set forth as long as you prepare them and give them the tools to be successful.<\/p>\n

\"row<\/p>\n

Create a space that is cozy & inviting.<\/h2>\n

Your reading space should include comfy furniture or pillows for kids to sit on. Some ideas are:<\/p>\n

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  1. Bean bags<\/li>\n
  2. Kid-sized furniture<\/li>\n
  3. Pillows (I love hitting up IKEA <\/a>for these…the covers come in many colors and designs to match your decor and even better…the covers are removable so you can wash them).<\/li>\n
  4. Hang bright photos of kids reading.<\/li>\n
  5. Add soft lights to illuminate the space.<\/li>\n
  6. Hang a canopy overhead.<\/li>\n
  7. Invest in a sturdy bookshelf that will allow the covers of the books to be displayed. I love this one from Lakeshore Learning<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"young<\/p>\n

    Rotate Your Books Frequently<\/h2>\n

    Rotate your books on your shelf weekly or monthly. If you find that your personal library isn’t big enough, take a trip to your local library<\/strong> and fill your shelves!<\/p>\n

    Rotating your books keeps the space fresh and exciting.<\/h3>\n

    Take notice of the books that are true favorites and don’t be afraid to leave those out more often.<\/p>\n

    Be Patient & Know Your Group<\/h2>\n

    Mixed Ages:\u00a0<\/strong>If your group is comprised of infants, toddlers, AND preschoolers, be sure to offer a good mix of board books (on the lower shelves) and picture books (on the upper shelves).<\/p>\n

    Toddlers:\u00a0<\/strong>If you find a toddler chewing on a picture book, you can redirect her by offering her a board book instead or remove the book from her mouth and demonstrate how to use the (soggy) book.<\/p>\n

    Infants:\u00a0<\/strong>Offer these great no-rip books like these<\/a> to your babies! It’s never to early to introduce reading!<\/p>\n

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    Teach Kids About the Parts of a Book<\/h2>\n

    Part of teaching kids how to care for books means helping them get to know books on a deeper level.<\/p>\n

    Teach kids vocabulary that is associated with a book (spine, pages, title page, etc).<\/p>\n

    Tip: Be animated throughout this discussion! You don’t want to be facilitating a college lecture here…
    \n<\/strong>
    \nYou’ll be amazed by how quickly these little guys and gals pick up on this new terminology and share it with their parents at home during story time.
    \n\"\"<\/p>\n