Does the Easter Bunny Need GPS?

Someone at HarperCollins must have read my post Put Books in Their Basket because a package of Easter themed books magically appeared at my front door—the Monday after Easter. Opps. Perhaps the Easter Bunny took a wrong turn somewhere between New York and Miami.

Even though the holiday is over, I think some of these books are still deserving of mention. Some of the titles transcend Easter (like the fabulous book How Big is God? by Lisa Tawn Bergren) and are worthy of full fledged reviews. Therefore, I will post individual reviews of those books in the near future.

Some of the other titles are representative of the creative methods used to engage young readers, and I will discuss them briefly here. Although, I will reference some specific titles, this posting is meant to bring awareness to learning styles rather than individual books. I’m sure you will be able to find a seasonal substitute for any of the examples mentioned below.

As learners, we all process information using a combination of three methods: visual, auditory, and tactile. Individual learners often favor one method over another; however, they are rarely aware of it. As an educator (and a mother) I am always looking for ways to try to engage all three of these methods simultaneously. Here as some books that help young children do that.

Biscuit’s Pet & Play Easter: This is one of those ‘touch and feel’ board books. Although my daughter is three, she still loves these books. The texture fully engages a child’s tactile response while the pictures stimulate the visual. By reading these ‘touch and feel’ books to your child, you can also engage audio learning as well, creating a three-fold learning experience. The textures are also great for stimulating conversation and, therefore, critical thinking skills.

Berenstain Bears’ Baby Easter Bunny: This is a ‘lift-the-flap’ or ‘peek-a-boo’ book. Again the movable flaps engage the tactile learner. It also encourages critical thinking as the flaps provoke a child’s curiosity and he considers what may lie underneath.

Bedtime Prayers/Everday Prayers: These two books are published by Harper Blessings. These two books use an image substitution method for young readers. Certain words repeated throughout the book are represented by illustrations–a key in the front of the book clarifies their meaning.

Here’s an example. The first prayer in Bedtime Prayers reads:

I see the moon,
And the moon sees me,
God bless the moon,
And God bless me.

In this prayer the word ‘moon’ has been replaced by the illustration of a little crescent moon, allowing young children to ‘read’ long before they have acquired letter recognition. Most parents can tell you that small children have a desire to read long before they have the skills. They will often memorize their favorite stories and ‘read them’ out loud to others. By utilizing image recognition, young children can ‘read’ much earlier, gaining a sense of accomplishment and encouraging a stronger relationship with books and reading.

As the example above illustrates, these prayers also utilize rhyme, which will help to fully engage audio learning. The rhyming makes the prayers easier to memorize and paves the way for future phonics skills.

Now that Easter is over, you may not be able to find all of these titles at your local bookstore, but as I mentioned, you should be able to find a seasonal substitute. You can also find holiday titles year round from online book retailers. I like to have a selection of holiday themed books that we rotate, since anticipation often creates greater interest.

If you have a favorite books that utilizes any of these learning methods feel free to share them in the comment section below.