As a parent, you are your child’s first and most influential teacher. From a very early age, reading together is one of the best ways to share time with your child. Nothing builds a child’s desire to read better than being held in a lap and cuddled as you read a story.
Lap-time reading fosters feelings of warmth and security. It also expands your child’s view of the world and his vocabulary (the number of words he knows). You can read to your child anywhere – in the waiting room at the hospital or in the living room of your home. By setting aside time every day for reading, your child will see that you love books and reading. Studies show that this is one of the best ways to help your child develop a love of reading.
Let your child pick a story. Then, cuddle up together to enjoy the power and magic of the printed word.
Great books for preschoolers
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
- Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
- The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
- The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
- The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
- Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
- The Little Red Hen by Barry Downard
- Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
- Go, Dog, Go by P.D. Eastman
- Clifford, the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell
- Peak-A-Boo by Roberta Grobel Intrater
- More Pies! by Robert Munsch
- The Rain Came Down by David Shannon
- Stay Awake, Bear! by Gavin Bishop
- I Love You Because You’re You by Liza Baker
- Night Dancer by Marcia Vaughn
- The Body Book by Shelley Rotner
- The Tale of Tricky Fox by Jim Aylesworth
- Big Fat Hen by Keith Baker
- 26 Letters and 99 Cents by Tana Hoban
- Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
- The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
- Ask Mr. Bear by Marjorie Flack
- Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing by Judi Barrett
- We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Helen Oxenbury
- Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
- Ten in the Bed by Penny Dale
- The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
- Pinkalicious by Victoria Kann and Elizabeth Kann
- Pollywog to Frog by Will Terry
- Going to the Zoo - Want to come too? By Sarah Treu
Adapted from materials from the National Education Association, www.nea.org/readacross/, from Scholastic, www.scholastic.com, and from Choose the Right Books for Kids.
Questions?
To learn more about reading readiness, call Rehabilitation Services at 901-595-3621 or the St. Jude School Program at 901-595-2364. If you are outside the Memphis area, call toll-free 1-866-2ST-JUDE (1-866-278-5833), extension 3621 or 2364.
This document is not intended to take the place of the care and attention of your personal physician or other professional medical services. Our aim is to promote active participation in your care and treatment by providing information and education. Questions about individual health concerns or specific treatment options should be discussed with your physician.
St. Jude complies with health care-related federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.
ATTENTION: If you speak another language, assistance services, free of charge, are available to you. Call 1-866-278-5833 (TTY: 1-901-595-1040).
ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-866-278-5833 (TTY: 1-901-595-1040).
تنبيه: إذا كنت تتحدث باللغة العربية فيمكنك الاستعانة بخدمات المساعدة اللغوية المتوفرة لك مجانا. .يرجى الاتصال بالرقم. 5833-278-866-1 (الهاتف النصي: 1040-595-901-1).