While it may sound obvious, my mid month tip is to ‘Read What You Love’. Not just for your own personal reading though, consider choosing literature you find enjoyable to read with your kids. Books for kids of all ages can be more or less enjoyable for the adults who are reading, as well as for the kids. For example, Sarah and I are currently reading Harry Potter together. I was reminded while reading this week what rich, descriptive language the author uses, and how enjoyable this is to read. Anything by Roald Dahl will provide a similar experience. The same can be said for reading with our littlest ones.
Stories with good rhythm or rhyme will instantly be more enjoyable to read aloud. (such as Where is the Green Sheep by Mem Fox), as well as stories with humor or concepts kids find amusing (such as Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman). Stores that use the illustrations really well (such as Sophie Johnson, Unicorn Expert, Is a Detective Genius by Morag Hood) are also really fun because you get to watch your little one make the connections between the pictures and the text. I recommend steering clear of character books, such as books themed around television characters like Barbie and Paw Patrol. While a few of these are ok, they generally have poor storylines and not very rich language. You will get a much more enjoyable literacy experience out of something constructed more for its story value than its marketing value.
If you are interested in learning more about how good children’s books are constructed, check out this Video by one of Australia’s most beloved children’s authors Mem Fox.