“In the world of pre-K, where growth and learning thrive,
Books and visuals are the keys to help children arrive,
At their full potential, with language skills to strive for,
Reading together can make their young minds come alive.”
-Kerri Dalessio
Why Isn’t My Child Talking?
There are many reasons why a child struggles to learn to talk, but the reality is, every child can benefit from hearing words aloud in the form of storytelling. Children do things on their own timelines and when they’re ready to do them. That includes learning to talk. When it comes to speaking, there are two types of speech we need to be aware of when thinking about kids.
Receptive language (Understanding skills)
Expressive language (Talking skills)
Your child may understand what you’re saying, but they can’t seem to say that out loud, and guess what? That’s okay! The first part of speech is understanding language. Now, let’s talk about expressive language. One of the best ways for kids to learn expressive language is through books and particularly by hearing books read to them. Here are Kerri’s Kids top three books that help kids learn to acquire language.
1. Brown Bear
What’s Great About This Book?
- Animals
- Colors
- Questions and answers
Brown Bear by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle is a classic children’s picture book and it’s my number one teaching tool book for kids. Why? First and foremost, this book uses simple language, repetitive structure, engaging illustrations and lot’s of opportunities for learning! “Brown bear, brown bear what do you SEE, I SEE a red bird looking at ME.” As a child learns this book, they may start to fill in the missing words and phrases, which can help build their confidence and language.
Another reason this book rocks is because you can sing it aloud! As you may know, I am all about singing! Singing and language go hand in hand. I also employ visuals to help children identify colors and animals.
2. Go Away, Big Green Monster
What’s Great About This Book?
- Simple words
- Vibrant colors
- Interactive
Go Away, Big Green Monster by Ed Emberly. This book is a wonderful tool to help kids learn to talk. The reason it works so well is the simple and repetitive language. Children can easily understand what’s going on in the story and practice the same words over and over again.
The illustrations are super colorful and fun! Many young children have short attention spans, but when you show them a book with vibrant colors and simple words, they can focus on the story.
One of the best parts of Go Away, Big Green Monster, is that it’s an interactive book. The book also features interactive elements, such as die-cut pages that gradually reveal the monster’s face, which encourages children to participate and engage with the story. The book also helps children learn to describe facial features such as “green face, “yellow eyes,” and “purple hair.”
3. Today Is Monday By Eric Carle
What’s Great About This Book?
- Sing along
- Fun foods
- Chance to be silly
Today is Monday by Eric Carle is a fun book that’s also a song! Children get to hear a story about various funny foods: spaghetti, ZOOOOP, ice cream and string beans are some of the silly foods mentioned in the book. Why is this book so great for teaching kids to develop language? Because this book features a repetitive pattern. Each page features a different day of the week, a corresponding animal and food. This repetition helps children anticipate what is coming next. Kids love to talk about their favorite foods! The pictures are a lot of fun, and you can sing the song with them.
This has been an episode of Kerri Dalessio’s top three books that help support children to acquire language. Are you worried that your child isn’t talking? Worry no more! I’ve got you covered with these three amazing kid’s books and I have so many more linguistic tricks up my sleeve.