Keshet’s Curriculum Coordinator & resident reading expert Dr. Shirley Drelich is sharing tips and book recommendations to make reading a fun and engaging activity this winter break!
Here’s a message from her:
Dear Parents,
Are you looking for some fun reading adventures with your children during winter break? Look for books with simple storylines, repetitive language, high-interest values and perhaps themes related to the season, like snow, holidays and winter activities. Don’t forget to include practice with your child’s AAC device if they have one. This is a perfect way to use the device and increase their “LiterAACy.” Also consider books with adapted versions that feature larger print, simplified language, visual supports and/or audio recordings. Many of the books listed below can also be found as adapted versions at the Paul Sherlock Center on Disabilities. Resources can be downloaded and printed out, and/or can be viewed as an animated powerpoint presentation that you and your child can watch on your computer. Many of the stories also come available in CVI versions for students with visual impairments who need those types of reading materials.
Have fun reading and enjoy the winter holidays!! See you in the new year!!
Sincerely,
Dr. Shirley Drelich
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
“This is a wonderful wordless picture book about a little boy who rushes out into the wintry day to build a snowman, who comes alive in his dreams that night.”
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
A Caldecott Medal winner. “This classic tells the story of the magic and wonder of winter’s first snowfall.”
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback
“A Caldecott Honor Book filled with cheerful artwork and lots of laughs, that teaches where children learn that you can always make something, even out of nothing.”
It Could Always Be Worse by Margot Zemach
“A New York Times Book Review Notable Children’s Book of the Year, and a Caldecott Honor Book about a wise rabbi who doles out surprising advice to a man complaining of overcrowded quarters in this Yiddish folktale.”
The Snow Thief by Alice Hemming & Nicola Slater
“A funny, snowy companion picture book that teaches kids about winter, adapting to change, and the seasons.”
The Mitten by Jan Brett
“A modern classic story about how a young boy’s lost mitten leads to a charming snowy adventure.”
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
“Jane Yolen captures the wonderment of making a simple activity of walking through the woods become a magical adventure.”
SNOW by Uri Shulevitz
“A New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year and Caldecott Honor Book. This playful depiction of a snowy day and the transformation a city is perfectly captured in simple, poetic text and lively watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations.”
The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder by Mark Cassino & Jon Nelson
“Perfect for reading on winter days, this book by a nature photographer and a snow scientist will inspire wonder and curiosity about the marvels of snow. Snowflake-catching instructions are also included!”
The Stranger by Chris Van Allsburg
“The mysterious origins of the stranger that Farmer Bailey hits with his truck and brings home to recuperate seem to have a mysterious relation to the weather. Could he be Jack Frost?”
