How to Choose a Book to Suit Kids’ Needs
Sept. 6, 2015
The importance of reading and talking to kids is undeniable, no matter how old they are. In today’s article we are going to take a look at how to choose suitable books for kids of 2-5 years old.
Choose short simple stories
A kid's normal attention span is three to five minutes for every year of age. To give an example, a 2-year-old should be able to concentrate for at least six minutes and a 5-year-old should be able to focus for 15 minutes. For this reason you can manage to read a short story from the beginning to the end without making your kid tired.
Make sure the story is engaging
The favorite topics for kids between 2 and 5 years old are animals, daily routine, transport, toys, food, and other little boys and girls. If you see a nicely illustrated book featuring one of the above things, give it a read. Consider getting it, once you’ve found the content of the book engrossing enough for a kid.
Read their favorites again and again
It may not be fun to read the same story several times for an adult, but kids feel absolutely elated when they listen about their favorite characters again and again. There are a number of positive things about it: at very early age your kids show they can feel passionate about something, they improve memory when they listen to the same story, and they also extend their attention span.
Encourage communication during reading
Don’t be afraid to ask your kids questions about the book you’ve read. Communication makes them think or remember the details from the book and improves their communication skills.
Choose stories that get kids moving
Being a kid is all about moving around and having fun! Don’t worry if your kid is in constant movement, preoccupy if she isn’t. That is why it would be great to read books where there is action involved so that your kid could perform actions while you read.
Know where to stop
Stop reading and do something different if your kid doesn’t have fun. You want to create a positive reading experience for your kid – a book shouldn’t be associated with a torture.