Engaging Young Children with Interactive Books

Many grownups remember their favorite childhood books, especially ones their parents and educators read to them. Or even fairy tales or older siblings’ textbooks. Some children, though, are energetic and may struggle to sit silently and listen to reading. Thankfully, interactive books can entertain children while helping develop vital skills in literacy, communication, and vocabulary.

Kaplan Early Learning Company says that interactive reading between adults and children is essential when it comes to children’s early literacy skills. Interactive books engage infants and capture their natural curiosity. Unique features, such as textures, lift-flaps, moving parts, pull-tabs, or die-cut pages, help support young children’s sensory development.

Pull-tabs and lift-flaps can especially aid in developing toddlers’ pre-reading skills. Vicki, a former teacher and a mother, says on her blog that these book features provide parents and educators with an opportunity to help children develop their basic skills. For example, asking toddlers what they think they will find behind each flap is a fun way to teach them how to make predictions.

Some of Star Bright Books’s titles contain unique features that can help toddlers develop their essential skills. Shapes at Play by Jin Choi is a casebound board book designed for children to discover shapes in bright primary colors. This wordless book with lift-flaps will help toddlers learn basic geometry and geometric concepts, shape relationships, scale, and proportion, especially if adults ask them questions about what they see and what they might find with flaps closed and opened.

Our Small Talk Books® series, written by Ellen Mayer, features books like Red Socks and Rosa’s Very Big Job that include a note for parents, caregivers, and teachers. Each note advises adults on how to hold rich conversations with toddlers to help develop and nurture vocabulary and emotions. This activity sheet, for example, can be paired with some of Star Bright Books’s laundry-specific books and is a fun way for adults and toddlers to sort clean laundry together while comparing sizes of clothing items.

With unique interactive features, children’s books are an excellent way for toddlers to develop basic skills, expand knowledge, and remember precious moments with their families and educators forever.

Reading to kids who are full of energy can sometimes be frustrating. My 2 year old is constantly on the move. I’m always amazed and thrilled when she wants to just sit with me and read a book. But there are plenty of times when a traditional book just can’t hold her attention. Thankfully, there are plenty of interactive books available to keep your little ones interested in reading, and there are lots of educational benefits of reading interactive books with your kids!

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When most people think of reading to kids, they have a set idea in their head about how it looks. They think about curling up in a chair together and reading a story from end to end. Those moments are definitely ones to treasure. Sometimes though, you have two kids on your lap fighting over who gets to turn the page. Or you can’t finish a book because your child keeps trying to flip pages, or climb off of your lap. On days like these, it might be worth considering a book that gives your child an active role in the reading process.

A Wide Variety of Interactive Books

There are lots of interactive book styles available. Some books encourage kids to use the illustrations, such as wordless picture books or look & find books like the I Spy series. Lift the flap or pull tab books keep kids engaged by allowing them to activate different parts of the book. Some books include buttons that play a sound or song when activated. There are also interactive stories which “break the fourth wall” and pull kids into the story. These give them some control over the action on the pages. All of these books can be used with a wide range of age and skill levels, making them fun for the whole family.

Benefits of Reading Interactive Books as a Family

Reading interactive books with your kids can provide a lot of educational benefits. One of the greatest things that kids can get from family reading sessions is a positive emotional connection to reading. Starting from the very earliest days, kids who sit and read with their loved ones start to connect reading with love, safety and happiness. The emotional bond that you create through these reading times can happen whether you are reading a book about love or a Where’s Waldo? book.

Using Interactive Books to Teach Pre-reading Skills

Introducing interactive books to your read aloud time also helps parents and kids to get used to talking about what they are seeing in the book. Talking to your kids about what you are reading and asking them questions are both great precursors for teaching them to read. Good readers ask questions about what they are reading. Asking questions together gives them a great start on this skill. With a traditional storybook, it can sometimes be difficult to figure out where in the story you want to stop and ask questions. With an interactive book, it is usually easier to find natural places to stop and talk. Ask questions about what kids are seeing on the page. See what they think will happen next. With look and find books, ask them to find other items in the photo than the ones provided in the key.

Lots of baby books have pull tabs or flaps to lift. These books are meant to encourage kids to interact with the story and get them excited for reading. As a parent, these books provide you with an opportunity to work on some pre-reading skills with even your youngest kids. Lift the flap books are a great way to teach kids about making predictions. Before you let your child open the flap, ask them what they think they will find behind it. This guessing game is not only fun, but is an early lesson in making predictions, which is an important skill for many subjects.

Using interactive books to teach kids how to treat their books

Another important lesson that kids learn from reading with adults, is book handling skills. This is especially important with young kids and lift the flap books. We have lots of lift the flap books around our house that no longer include the flaps. Try as you may, these books will almost always suffer some damage from an energetic child who doesn’t recognize his or her own strength. Reading these books with your kids allows you to show them how to gently handle their books.

There are so many wonderful benefits to reading interactive stories with your kids. In addition to the entertainment you can get from them, they can make your reading time more productive, create cherished memories, and even help teach your kids to read. Next time everyone is too energized to curl up for reading time, try getting involved with the story instead!