The concept of age related to adults can be relative depending upon your state of mind, your physical health and your lifestyle. 

However, when it comes to children, whose minds are ‘absorbing like a sponge every minute’, and very innocent and open to the world, age is just a label.

Age becomes only a stamp  to categorize items in retail or to assign certain milestones as their world becomes more structured. It does not account for the variation and fluidity of learning! 

As I bask in the success of my first children’s book, I often am asked, to  what age range  does your story apply? I tell them that there are many messages for all ages. It includes an intergenerational relationship between a grandfather and grandson. However, there are several themes everyone can relate to.

Let us not forget the pre-reader. During my former training as a speech- language pathologist, I learned many facts that build a case for a child who is NEVER too young to read- pre-read. Why? Because …

In general - 

Toddlers - absorb a significant amount of language and foundational reading skills through exposure to books and conversations, including:

1) Building vocabulary;

2) Understanding story structure;

3)  Recognizing familiar patterns in language;

4)  Developing phonemic awareness(i.e-  the ability to identify, manipulate, and understand the individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words) 

By  listening to the sounds in words, it helps lay the groundwork for future reading abilities. 

Specific activities to enhance pre-readers experiences-

Toddlers- pre-readers, particularly those surrounded by a lot of adult conversation (including bilingualism)  are predisposed for all kinds of learning including the following- 

• Vocabulary development:
  Toddlers rapidly learn new words through exposure to everyday language and picture books, building a strong vocabulary base which is crucial for comprehension later on. 

• Story comprehension:
  While not decoding words, (i.e.- the process of translating printed words to speech by matching letters to their corresponding sound),

•  Toddlers can understand basic story narratives through pictures and familiar language patterns, learning concepts like beginning, middle, and end. 

• Language rhythm and patterns:
  Repeated readings of familiar books help toddlers internalize the rhythm and patterns of language, including rhyme and repetition, which can aid in early reading development. 

• Print awareness:
  Toddlers start to recognize that print carries meaning and can begin to identify familiar letters or symbols on a page. 

• Phonemic awareness:
  Through activities like rhyming games and discussions about sounds in words, toddlers develop phonemic awareness, which is a key skill for decoding words later on.

***How do we take advantage of this learning to maximize their experiences?  These are just a handful of examples- 

• Regular reading aloud:
  Frequent interactions with books, when parents,  caregivers,other adults  point out pictures and narrate the story, significantly contribute to language development; 

• Read the same book often to increase familiarity and practice of skills! 

If this is done with a handful of books, soon your child will select favorite stories and thereby increase interest, interaction and learning!

• Engaging interactions:
  Asking questions about the story, discussing characters and vocabulary, and encouraging interaction with the book enhances comprehension;

• Diverse book selection:
  Exposing toddlers to a variety of genres and themes helps them develop a broader understanding of language and different writing styles;

• Sing Songs and Nursery Rhymes

Singing nursery rhymes is the ultimate pre-reading activity for preschoolers. 

It’s an opportunity to introduce children to new ideas and words. Your child absorbs language from their surroundings, so singing  familiar nursery rhymes reveals a window into a whole other world. For example,  singing “Old MacDonald Had a Farm’  together can be a fun way to learn about farm animals.

• Ask your child to retell a story

Re-telling stories helps your child narrate events in the right order, (sequencing) which is an essential skill for listening and speaking.

Ask your child to retell a story they have heard. This could be a story about playtime or a family trip that happened a while ago or the plot of a book or TV show they enjoyed. Following  an outing or visit,  ask your child to remember who you met, and what happened. This helps your child to recall, listen and speak.

• Fun Learning with Letters- 

Learning the alphabet is the key to letter-sound recognition. Here are a few creative ways to teach your little one their A-B-Cs: Do alphabet puzzles on the floor together. Read alphabet books like Dr Seuss’s ABC or Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Have them create ABCs with clay or play dough. 

“PLUGNOSE AND THE FISHERMAN” offers all of these opportunities and more… 

So, never say, my child is too young for that book! 

Postscript - For many years, I worked with adults with mild to severe developmental disabilities. If the person has the motivation to learn even simple skills, and the instructor has the patience, skill and compassion, those with developmental disabilities may be able to learn simple concepts for functional needs.  Therefore, never discount ‘true to life’ story books for those with disabilities as well.

To purchase PLUGNOSE & THE FISHERMAN BOOK (with a special personalization) FREE SHIPPING…AND FREE BOOKMARKS  (if two or more books are purchased, go to this link.  https://donnagore.com/store/p/plugnose 

***Genuine feedback in the form of comments quotes are appreciated after you and your child has reviewed the book a few times!  

I am working on a testimonial page for the future! 

***Other blogs you might enjoy before you leave

https://donnagore.com/blog/animal-vegetable-mineral-or-real-life-childrens-books;

https://donnagore.com/blog/take-24-the-two-way-street-of-consulting

Thanks,

Donna