What Children Like in BooksBe the Best Nanny Newsletter has been encouraging nannies and au pairs to read daily to their charges.
Here is a simple guide from Reach Out and Read on what kinds of books are most suitable for children of different age groups.
INFANTS (6-12 MONTHS) LIKE
- Board books with photos of babies
- Brightly-colored board books to touch
- Books with pictures of familiar objects-balls, bottles
- Small books sized for small hands
YOUNG TODDLERS (12-24 MONTHS) LIKE
- Sturdy board books they can handle and carry
- Books with photos and pictures of children doing familiar things-sleeping, eating, playing
- Goodnight books for bedtime
- Books about saying goodbye and hello
- Books with only a few words on the page
- Books with simple rhymes or predictable text
OLDER TODDLERS (24-36 MONTHS) LIKE
- Books with board pages-but also books with paper pages
- Silly books and funny books
- Rhymes, rhythms, repetitious text-books they can learn by heart
- Books about children and families
- Books about making friends
- Books about food
- Books about animals
- Books about trucks
- Word books
PRESCHOOLERS (3-5 YEARS) LIKE
- Books that tell stories
- Books about kids that look like them and live like them-but also books about different places and different ways of living
- Books about going to school, books about making friends
- Books with simple text they can memorize
- Counting books, alphabet books, vocabulary books
What are your favorite children's books?
