Blogging A to Z: Access

It’s April first and that means two things – it’s April Fool’s Day and it’s the first day of the Blogging A to Z Challenge! (And that’s no joke!) For this challenge, each letter of the alphabet is assigned a day of the month. Conveniently, when you skip Sundays, the letter Z lands on April 30th. I’ve been participating in this challenge since 2016 and was really looking for a new idea to tackle for this year’s theme. You can check out my past year’s themes on my theme reveal post last month!

After brainstorming some different ideas, I landed on sharing early literacy tips. The importance of early literacy is almost immeasurable and often leaves families not really sure about what they’re doing or why it’s important. Early literacy isn’t even about teaching kids to read, it’s actually forming the skills to be ready to read. For the next month, I’ll be sharing an early literacy tip for each letter of the alphabet and including a list of twelve titles that I love! By the end of April, families should have a better understanding of the importance of early literacy, plus some great ideas they can incorporate into their daily routine. In addition, parents will also have 312 book titles that are perfect for the PreK crowd.

Access

Today’s letter is “A” and we’re focusing on access! Access to books is the first step to increasing early literacy skills. Children with more access to books are more frequent readers and score higher on standardized tests. Unfortunately, access to books isn’t always an option for kids. Studies show trends in access in relation to income, race, and ethnicity. Take a look at this graph from Scholastic’s Kids & Family Reading Report. Kids with access to more books are also frequent readers. It makes sense, if kids can easily pick up a book to read at home, they’re more likely to do it more often.

If purchasing dozens of books is cost prohibitive for your family, check out your local library! Libraries have great collections of titles for all ages and library cards and their resources are typically free. A lot of libraries are going fine-free now too. That means that you won’t rack up fines on books if you happen to return them a couple of days late. You can also do a book swap with some friends so kids can swap out books they’re read for some new titles that a friend is finished with. Check out used bookstores, yard sales, and thrift stores for great books at a much lower cost than brand-new titles.

Book Shelf Location

Access is important. Having books in your home is necessary to creating lifelong readers. But, have you ever thought about where you keep your kids’ books? Make sure that children can easily reach books – which means they can’t be on a bookshelf at your eye level. Make sure kids’ books are at the bottom of the bookshelf. Nurseries are often shown with adorable bookshelves that kids can’t actually reach. Make sure to keep books close to the ground for the youngest of readers!

Books Everywhere

And make books pervasive. What I mean is, put books everywhere! Diaper bag, car seat pocket, backpack, coffee table, playroom, bedroom, bathroom, wherever you spend time, make sure you’ve got books there too! The more places your kids have access to books, the better chance they’ll choose to pick up a book to read. Are you questioning my thoughts on books in the bathroom? There are some amazing waterproof books called Indestructibles from Workman Publishing that you can actuallly wash in the dishwasher! Plus they’re rip-proof and chew-proof, perfect for little ones exploring their world!

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Some challenge days will be based on a theme and other days, like today, I’m just sharing some really great reads. Some of these books are board books, published on heavy-duty cardboard. These are great for little ones who especially love putting things in their mouths. They’re much sturdier than your typical picture book and will stand up to some childlike wonder and exploration! Some of these might be better for a little bit older preschooler as they have more text or longer plots. But, I promise, no matter where you are in your reading journey, kids are never too young or too old to be read aloud to!

Book List #1 – Access

• Baby Loves Yoga: An ABC of First Poses by Jennifer Eckford
  Learn the alphabet through basic yoga poses that the family can do together! Yoga can also be used to calm tantrums and helps get the wiggles out!
• Bedtime for Sweet Creatures by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon
  This is a sweet bedtime story by renowned poet, Nikki Grimes with beautiful, bright illustrations too!
• Fussy Flamingo by Shelly Vaughan James, illustrated by Matthew Rivera
  A silly story that will resonate with the picky eaters in your house, a perfect treat for the family dinner table.
• Gracias / Thanks by Pat Mora, illustrated by John Parra
  A bilingual story in which a young boy shares all that he is thankful for. A great introduction to gratefulness and manners.
• Lion Lessons by Jon Agee
  A fun story about the seven steps it takes to be a lion, be sure to act this one out!
• Love You Head to Toe by Ashley Barron
  This rhyming board book filled with diversity is a perfect read aloud for your baby.
• National Geographic Little Kids: First Big Book of Why by Amy Shields
  A perfect book for a child who has lots of questions, this one can help give you and your child all the right answers!
• Nesting by Henry Cole
  A quiet book about two robins creating a nest for their family. A perfect read aloud for spring, this story is done in pen and ink drawing with beautiful robin’s egg blue highlights.
• No More Naps!: A Story for When You’re Wide-Awake and Definitely NOT Tired by Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Leo Espinosa
  We’ve all been there before, the little one is refusing to take a nap. Next time it happens, pull out this adorable story!
• One of These Is Not Like the Others by Barney Saltzberg
  Celebrate difference and inclusivity as you identify which one doesn’t match!
• Princesses Versus Dinosaurs by Linda Bailey, illustrated by Joy Ang
  Princesses and dinosaurs find out they’re sharing the same book! What can they do, but fight for their rightful space!
• Red House, Tree House, Little Bitty Brown Mouse by Jane Godwin, illustrated by Blanca Gomez
  Another rhyming story that focuses on concepts that are perfect for toddlers and preschoolers as you travel around the world with a little bitty brown mouse.

If you’re interested in purchasing any of the titles on this list, please use my affiliate links for Bookshop.org. When you purchase from this link, I will earn a commission as an affiliate.

For the month of April, I’ll be sharing early literacy tips and book lists as part of the Blogging A to Z Challenge. Learn about the importance of early literacy and ways to incorporate tips and tricks into your family’s daily routine. Developing language skills before kids head to school helps them to be ready to learn when they reach school-age. In addition to great content, you’ll also get a new book list for each letter, resulting in over 300 board book and picture book suggestions for your family to enjoy!