Today I had a “play on words” session with a 14 month-old and his mom and dad. I really like it when dads join the session because they ask great, thoughtful questions.
We were talking about good books with a simple story line, exciting illustrations and flaps to keep a mobile toddler interested. I had shown Maisy Takes a Bath because it goes through the familiar routine of the evening bath. Dad asked if his son could relate his own bathtub to the one in the story. Good question.
It is a little early to make these connections although it is just the right time for Dad to make that link when he is talking about the book. Point to the tub in the book and say, “Hey, Maisy has a big white bathbub like yours. Your tub is upstairs. You even have a duck floating in your tub, just like Maisy. Making book-to-life and life-to book comments links books to your child’s experience and real world and back again. Soon you might be reading about a duck and your toddler will jump off your lap to retrieve his duck. When he is 3 or 4 years old, he might have an experience at school or visiting the seashore and say, “Hey, that remkinds me of my story book!”
