A Love for Books...
Do you?

• Read to the children in your class every day?

• Let the children take books home from the classroom literacy area?

• Find ways to encourage parents to read to their child at home?

• Give children time each day to look at books independently or with a friend?

• Encourage children to actively participate in read-aloud time through discussion and role-playing?

• Link books with activities to further stretch the learning experience?

• Place books where children can easily reach them?

• Display books on open shelves to call attention to featured books?

• Store books by category (e.g., animals, bugs, vehicles, etc.) in bins with either a label or a color code?

• Rotate featured books on a monthly basis to pique children's interest in reading?

• Have a cozy, inviting area for children to read on their own or with friends?

• Read and reread stories that have predictable sound patterns?

• Sing, rhyme, and clap out the syllables of songs and chants?

• Stretch words out so the children hear the sounds?

• Play a variety of games that emphasize rhyming and beginning sounds?

• Use words and songs in the daily classroom routine?

• Help children identify rhyming words?

• Read alphabet books to help children recognize the letters in print and learn the names of the letters?

• Write and display children's names and any other words of interest?

• Help children recognize and write their own name in print?

• Involve children in writing activities?

• Make paper, pencils, and markers easily accessible?

• Show children how to hold a book properly?

• Show children that we read print moving from left to right and top to bottom?

• Identify the features of a book, such as the author, illustrator, and title?

• Teach children the difference between a letter, a word, and a sentence?

• Draw attention to uppercase and lowercase letters, punctuation, and other print features?

• Have at least 10 alphabet books in your collection?

• Have a wide variety of picture storybooks including Caldecott Medal winners?

• Have a collection of traditional literature such as nursery rhymes, folk tales, and fairy tales?

• Have poetry included in your collection?

• Have several informational books or texts like menus, signs, newspapers, greeting cards, recipes, etc., available for children to explore?

• Have a few big books on hand to allow children to more easily see the pictures and follow the print as it is being read?