READING, Ages 0-3:

The Point of Pop-Up Books

 

            Today's Snack: A bowl of Sugar Pops cereal is always a kid-pleaser, and appropriate today since we're talking about pop-up books. But if that's too much sugar, you can teach your young child to "pop" any kind of cereal in his or her mouth for a snack that's always good and never messy.

 

 

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Supplies:

Typing paper or blank cardboard | magazines or catalogs |

crayons or colored pencils | X-acto knife (adult use only)

scissors | tape | stapler

 

 

 

Pop-up books are a staple of childhood reading. Yet few people realize the value of these simple, surprising and fun literary contraptions for the itty-bitty mind.

 

Pop-ups help build reading comprehension. They teach cause-effect relationships. They make reading interactive between the child, the book, and you. And they make your child a more active reader instead of a passive one.

 

            Pop-ups are all about predictions and surprises - setting the stage cognitively for key reading comprehension abilities on down the road.

 

And you thought it was a silly, simple game of "peek-a-boo." Nope - pop-up literature is an important tool for building your young child's brain!

 

When your youngster sees what's under the flaps in a "Where's Spot?" book the first time or two, it's a delightful surprise. You can keep the learning value going with each re-read.

 

The next few times you read the book, give that little brain time to remember before you let your little one lift the flap. Ask: "What do you think is under there?" or "What comes next?"

 

Being able to predict the action in a storyline, and enjoy the development of the story whether you predicted right or wrong, are key satisfactions of reading.

 

            You might wait until your child quits teething on books, or tearing the pages, before you introduce an intricate pop-up. There are simple ones around.

 

But for the child who can take care and not rush through the pop-ups and tear them, at around age 3, a great pop-up book is by the most beloved children's author, Dr. Seuss. It's "The Pop-Up Mice of Mr. Brice."

 

            You can find pop-up books in the used book department of a secondhand store, or take books your friends' children have outgrown. Publishers occasionally come out with pop-up versions of familiar children's stories that make great gifts. You can find new and used pop-up books at an online bookstore such as www.alibris.com (search under "Books" and "Pop Up").

 

            You can make your own pop-up books, too:

 

1. Work out a story with your child: maybe it will be a new adventure of a familiar storybook character, such as "Spot," "Curious George" or "Clifford."

 

2. You can find images of these characters on a search engine such as Google, and print them out to tape onto the page. Or draw or trace them yourself! If your child is old enough, your child will really enjoy making the illustrations or coloring them, too.

 

3. Cut out pictures from magazines, catalogs or coloring books and tape them onto one piece of paper. Then draw your story line on several sheets of paper.

 

4. Using an X-acto knife or other cutting tool, cut fold-out "peek-a-boo" flaps from your top sheet.

 

5. Now tape top sheets and bottom sheets together so that the flaps reveal what you want them to reveal.

 

6. Be sure to write the words to your story in large, simple print. And enjoy!

            By Susan Darst Williams • www.AfterSchoolTreats.com • Reading • © 2010