Adding Books to Your Adventures!

With summer on the horizon, you and your kids are probably already starting to make plans for all sorts of summer fun. One thing that you can do to enrich your summer adventures is to read about them. It’s an easy thing to do and can make a huge impact on your child’s learning. For instance, if you’re going on a trip to the zoo, read a few zoo books–The Zoo by Jacqueline Laks Gorman, Out and About at the Zoo by Kathleen W. Deady, or Zoo Ah-choo by Peter Mandel–before you go. This will allow for you to prepare your little one for what he’s going to see there. When you’re there, he’s likely to be extra-excited about seeing animals that he’s just read about in the books! Then, after your trip, these books will take on a whole new meaning and will be fun to reread, remembering familiar things about your own experience as you read. If he had a favorite animal at the zoo, he may even want to get more books, specifically on that animal.

Reading picture books about your adventure is great, but it’s important to read some non-fiction ones, too. Since reading non-fiction books is a great way to build vocabulary and gain background knowledge, it’s incredibly important for your child to read them often. Starting with non-fiction at a young age is important, too, because it will prepare your child for all of the non-fiction he’ll read when he gets to school.

So, whether you’re taking a day trip to the zoo, going on vacation to another state or country, or just hanging out at a local park, reading about where you’re going or what you’re doing will make your child’s experience so much richer. If you have any fun activities or book suggestions that you’d like to pass along to others, feel free to share them here!

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