PA Promise for Children released its list of September books for preschoolers, recommending eight books across four categories and combining some of them with activities that can increase interest in literacy.
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The book list includes four categories: Social Studies Thinking, Language and Literacy Skills, Science Thinking and Technology, and Mathematical Thinking and Expression.
The titles include:
Social Studies Thinking
- Actual Size (Steve Jenkins)
- Say Please, Little Bear (Peter Bentley)
Language and Literacy Skills
- It Is Night (Phyllis Rowand)
- The Bus for Us (Suzanne Bloom)
Science Thinking and Technology
- Put It On the List (Kristen Darbyshire)
- Mrs. McNosh and the Giant Squash (Sarah Weeks)
Mathematical Thinking and Expression
- One Mole Digging a Hole (Julia Donaldson and Nick Sharratt)
- 365 Penguins (Jean-Luc Fromental and Joelle Jolivet)
For the Science Thinking and Technology selections, PA Promise for Children suggests that caregivers have children look at fruits, vegetables, cans, and boxes in a grocery store or farmer’s market. Talk to them about the different shapes, colors, and sizes. Use words like same or different and continue reinforcing this concept with word cards, signs, or braille.
An activity to pair with the Mathematical Thinking and Expression books is to make a height chart with paper. Place the paper against the wall or door and ask a child to stand with their back against the chart. Mark their height and date it. Try this again in three months and talk about the change.
The child could also lie on the paper or use measurements to draw a line. Ask them to stretch out their arms and measure their arm span. Use the information about their height to compare with another object in the house and to talk about the circumference of objects.
