Make personalized childrens books using a list of simple words your preschool child can recognize. Create independent reading books with your word processor.
Many parents spend a great deal of time teaching their children from the world around them. Parents point out sights, sounds, letters, and words that their child sees in everyday life. Although your preschool child is probably not reading independently yet, he might be giving you clues that he is ready to read some simple stories.
When your child is close to school age, begin carefully observing him for signs that he is ready to read a little. Can he print his own name? Does he recognize the written names of his brother or sister? Does he draw pictures and write "to Mom" on them? Does he write scattered letters with his drawings? Does he repeat simple stories from memory while "˜reading' to you? Does he point out words on signs that he knows, like the "˜no' in "˜No Money Down?'
When you begin to recognize that your child does know a few words on sight, you can begin to create simple stories at home geared towards your child's individual knowledge.
First, you might like to obtain a copy of a list of sight words, or a list of pre-primer sight words. These are easily obtainable from your local early childhood educator, Kindergarten teacher, or from many sources on the internet. A simple search of "˜sight words' or "˜Dolch' will reward your with number of useful sites. Let you child spend a bit of time with one of these lists and see if he recognizes any words. Point out the "˜I'. If your child knows his alphabet, he will likely be encouraged by knowing this list word! Over time, make a list of your observations of words your child has recognized in his environment. When you have compiled a list of even five words your child recognizes on sight, you are ready to create a book your preschool child can read. Print this list and use it for your child to practice his sight words, as well.
Next, consider your child's interests. Is he in love with puppies, the computer, or Mom? Use this interest to create your book. When you can chosen your theme, you can begin with choosing a simple title that will amaze your preschool child! Consider linking his name to the title; for example, "Jamie and the puppy", or even just, "Jamie's Book".
If you are using your computer and word processor to make your story, use a bright color of paper, a large-sized letter size in the 30s, and a simple font such as Century Gothic. Type your title in the center of your page, and use a page break / new page key to continue, repeating this throughout your book.
For the bulk of your story, focus on your theme, words your child knows, and repetition. Use only one simple sentence per page, for a maximum of five or six pages, not including your title page. You don't want this product to be a source of pressure or extend past your child's attention span. Align your sentences to the left, and try to have each sentence fit on one line only. On each page, put the sentence in the same pace. The top or bottom of each page is preferable, to imitate trade books, and to provide maximum space for illustrations.
A first line for "Jamie and the puppy" might be "Jamie loves the puppy". If Jamie has a sister, Kate, your next page might be "Kate loves the puppy" then "Mom loves the puppy" and "Dad loves the puppy", etc. Consider making your final page a bit of a surprise to signal the story's ending, and to elicit that laugh you love so much! Perhaps your ending might be "The puppy licks Jamie!". Use only simple punctuation such as periods, and maybe question marks or exclamation marks.
Eventually, you can add in a few words that your child does not know, and he will probably learn them as part of your book time. Perhaps you can talk about how the exclamation mark makes words excited, and model this with how you say "The puppy LICKS JAMIE!" For your preschool child, you may want to leave a space between words and final punctuation to lessen the likelihood of confusion. For example, "The puppy licks Jamie !"
Complete your book by printing your pages and stapling them together in one corner for easy turning. Illustrate the pages together with your child. When you first read this story to your child, be sure to put your finger under each word, moving it as you read. The ability to discriminate the difference between letters and words is an important literacy skills. Have your child practice this skill as he reads to you.
Encourage your child to read their very own book to another parent, friend, sibling or relative. As your child learns more words, update your word list and create more books together. Your child will be filled with pride in his ability to read a book all by himself!
