Building a Core Print Collection for Preschoolers

Since children develop the critical language and early reading skills necessary to enter kindergarten between birth and age five, reading aloud is one of the most influential steps librarians, teachers, parents, and caregivers can take to foster preschoolers' literacy skills. Early exposure to books heavily influences vocabulary knowledge, which in turn improves later reading skills and helps foster lifelong literacy. Highlighting more than 300 birth-­kindergarten titles, Bailey offers: (1) A hand­-picked selection of quality books adeptly chosen to help develop crucial literacy skills such as expressive and receptive language, expanded vocabularies, narrative skills, print awareness, the ability to understand written language, awareness of story structure, alphabetic knowledge, and phonological sensitivity; (2) Thorough annotation of each title, including a full bibliographic record, a short summary, and journal reviews; (3) Chapters organized by type of book, from primary skills books, wordless picture books, and rhyming books to toy and movable books; and (4) A list of additional resources helpful for building a core collection. Valuable for regular use by caregivers as well as for collection development, this book spotlights hundreds of titles that are engaging and fun for reader and preschooler alike.