Book Clubs for Preschoolers
Posted on February 26, 2010 by Big Universe in Uncategorized.
Tags: book clubs, preschool, reading aloud
Book Clubs are nothing new. Since the inception of “Oprah’s Book Club” people everywhere have participated in their own book clubs. Then the idea trickled down to classrooms and literature circles popped up, essentially a book club for students. (Honestly, literature circles were probably around before Oprah!) More recently, children have begun to participate in book clubs outside of school, for pleasure! How wonderful is that!
I’ve heard of adult book clubs, teen book clubs, and book clubs for elementary readers. . . all independent readers. But what about our smallest readers? Our pre-readers deserve book clubs, too.
How to Start a Book Club for Preschoolers
- Discuss the idea with your playgroup or child’s preschool class.
- Choose a weekly time and place to meet and read. Choose a facilitator for each week. The facilitator chooses the book and the corresponding art project.
- Read aloud the picture book. Make the reading interactive. Ask questions as you read aloud.
- Discuss characters, plot points, setting, etc. Make personal connections to the book. Get kids interested in the book. Ask: “What was your favorite part? Your least favorite?”
- Provide an art activity to tie into the reading.
In the Book Club that I facilitate for preschoolers, I read aloud The Snowy Day by Jack Ezra Keats. We connected the book to times when it snowed and some of the things we did in the snow, just like Peter. Then we made our own footprints in the snow with black paint on our fingers and put it on white paper. It was a simple art project and connected to the book.
A simple, fun way to connect preschoolers with books. . . in a social setting. Preschoolers need book clubs, too!
Dawn Little (aka Links to Literacy) also blogs at www.teachingwithpicturebooks.wordpress.com where she provides educators with picture book lessons based on comprehension strategies and the Six Traits of Writing. In addition, she blogs at www.literacytoolbox.wordpress.com where she provides educators and parents with tips and tools to enhance the literacy lives of children. She is the founder and owner of Links to Literacy, a company dedicated to providing interactive literacy experiences for children and families. Find out more at www.linkstoliteracy.com
I love The Snowy Day. I always marvel at how timeless that book is!
Hallo from France! I have found your link on askjeeves. Handful content! Helen J. Schoolcraft x