Using Children's Literature In Preschool: Comprehending And Enjoying Books

When a teacher reads aloud a good piece of children’s literature, children are exposed to much more than an oral rendition of a storybook. Reading aloud to young children is a critical aspect of their social, emotional, and intellectual development. This book, part of the Preschool Literacy Collection, will help you create a rich literature environment for fostering your preschoolers’ reading comprehension. Authors Lesley Mandel Morrow and Linda B. Gambrell explore the why and the how of using children’s literature in preschool. In addition to explaining why it is important to use children’s literature in preschool, the chapters show you how to design a classroom literacy center and read and tell stories to children, help preschoolers comprehend stories and understand concepts of books, integrate children’s literature and literacy activities in thematic instruction and in the content areas, and strengthen the home–school connection with activities that you can share with parents for increasing their use of children’s literature at home. The book also provides a glossary of specialized literacy terms to expand your professional knowledge and offers recommended children’s literature resources to support your instruction. Preschool teachers and administrators can use this book to develop the habit of sharing good literature with their preschoolers and make the most of the powerful benefits of reading aloud literature.