Books have been a part of the lives of our daughters since the moment they graced this earth. While our family stands for many things - love, justice, compassion, peace - we hold reading and literacy in high regard. Hubby is an English teacher, and we are both quite the bibliophiles. If you could give us a chance to laze around for a day, we'd most likely choose to spend our day reading.
And we have worked hard to instill the same values to our girls.
From day one, we've read to them. Even when they couldn't understand, even when they were squiggly babies or short-attention-spanned toddlers, we read to them. Hubby has always felt strongly (and I fully support) that we should model reading to our kids. So when they will allow us, we read and let them see us reading. We have family reading time together before bed each night.
And by golly, if we don't have up-and-coming bookworms on our hands!
They love going to book stores, choosing new stories to devour, and they beg us to read to them every night. I've had new moms ask me, "What age should we begin reading to our kids? What are good books to start with?"
I always tell them as early as possible (like I said - Day 1!) and board books like DK Books are the best books to begin with! DK is a best-selling and award-winning children’s publisher with a crop of titles for babies and toddlers.
Even though my oldest is almost 6, they still cherish the board books we have. Bug, who is still 3, enjoys reading them as well. The DK books are sturdy, which stands against the forces of an inquisitive (and page-ripping) "threenager." The pictures are big and bright, and may of the books have a "touch-and-feel" component that engages many of the senses. I appreciate that while the words are often few, they are still there, engaging the mind and allowing synapses to process even at a young age: letters, words, meaning.
The great people of DK Books sent along some of their fine books for me to look over - most of which I am already delightfully familiar with. But I wanted to pass these along for those of you looking to dive into the world of reading!
Baby Touch and Feel: Sophie la girafe®: Sophie and Friends
Sophie the Giraffe is quickly becoming one of America's hottest teething toys, although she's been around since 1961. This touch-and-feel book is the perfect way to bring Sophie to life!Baby Touch and Feel: Farm
Engage all the senses with these color and fun-to-touch images. Farms are a common theme for babies, so kids will enjoy making the connection to some of their favorite songs and trips.Touch and Feel: Dinosaur
Roooooaaaar! Although they stay on the page, this touch-and-feel book makes the "terrible lizards" larger than life. A very fun book that is also informative and educational.My First Trucks and Diggers
If your child is a fan of trucks and construction vehicles, this is the book for you. Fun pictures with easy-to-grip tabs for repetitive viewing!
My First Touch & Feel Picture Cards: Animals
Get to know your animals with this book of picture cards. This is a great way to make the pictures and words familiar. Soon you'll be seeing your baby identifying animals all of your community!Pop-Up Peekaboo: Bedtime
Make this fun pop-up book part of your bedtime routine. This book promotes parent and child interaction, memory and imagination, while hands-on play makes learning fun. As you use it each night, it will become a welcoming cue for bedtime.
Friends? These books are foundation to a lifetime of reading. So get to your local bookstore and pick up a few for bedtime tonight!
Find more information on these titles and more at
http://us.dk.com/
I was provided these books to review. All opinions are my own.
