Never Too Young to Read a Chapter Book

As you know from last week, early literacy is extremely important to me. While many people may think young children should only be reading picture books, I think children can enjoy an assortment of books from many genres. For Christmas my daughters, age 3 and 4, received two chapter books. Upon opening them they flipped through to look at the pictures, as they do with any new book, but they were surprised to see only a few pictures throughout the book. Still they were very eager to start reading them and I was just as eager to read to them. Chapter books allow a child to use their imagination. Without pictures showing them what they should be envisioning with the words they are free to create whatever images in their minds. One of my favorite activities to do with my children after reading a chapter is to give them crayons and a blank paper to create an image from the chapter. I love seeing them depict through their drawings what they thought the chapter was about and how different their images are. Both my children love to talk about and draw what they have just heard from the books. So for all those that think chapter books are for older children, I say no way. Give it a try; young children can learn so much from listening to chapter books being read to them.

One of the greatest gifts adults can give—to their offspring and to their society—is to read to children. —Carl Sagan

Kim