Make Book Reading a Sensory Experience

Posted on April 25, 2018 | by KD Novelties

Ways to Make Book Reading a Sensory Experience

Making book reading a sensory experience can be fun when you involve the kids. We all use our senses to engage with and understand the world around us. The way that people interact with the world is different from person to person, and it can be especially particular for those on the spectrum. When it comes to special needs children, sometimes one or more senses are either over- or under-reactive to stimulation. Understanding how your child operates, what they respond to, and what they like can help make learning much more tangible for them. Reading a picture book aloud can be an active and engaging activity for children. It can be even more effective with the use of some simple strategies. Here are some ways how you can make reading a book aloud to your child more of a sensory experience.

Texture

Many children’s books might already have this ingredient, especially baby books. However, for children on the spectrum, the addition of texture, fabrics, materials other than paper, and even props can help them engage with the story. If you have picture books, you can add your own textures with materials from any arts and craft stores such as felt, cotton balls, fur etc. where appropriate. You can customize books to be more interactive and encourage your child to interact with the book and the story even more.

Props and Visual Aids

Props and visual aids can be useful in many ways. It can help kids understand the story and recreate scenes and retell the story on their own. Thus, helping them retain information and develop a closer understanding of the story. Items like stuffed animals, toys resembling characters, felt board sets, sequencing cards, miniature objects and more can all be helpful and enriching.

Sounds

Adding sounds while reading can do a lot for kids, too. You can ask your child to imitate farm animal sounds or any other actions that are included in the story like trains and cars. For kids who are minimally verbal or non-verbal, you can consider augmentative and alternative communication in place of sounds. This can include actions, miming, or pointing to certain things as they happen in the story.

Smell and Taste

Creating a more engaging atmosphere can be fun for reading, too. Adding candle scents or going outside to recreate the setting of the story can help your child with their imagination. They can get a better grip on the characters are and what they are doing. If food or candy is mentioned, having some of the same on hand can be fun, and tasty, too.

Moving Around

This is a great way to not only add some exercise to your day but can make reading a far more active experience. You can get up and engage in the same activities as the characters in the story. You can also reenact entire scenes straight from the book. This encourages children to think about what the characters would do or what the story is about. By approaching stories in different ways, you may find the one that reaches and affects your child the most.

Teaching Kids About Money

Posted on April 24, 2018 | by KD Novelties

Teaching Kids About Money

Teaching kids about money can be a strange concept for children. Many kids eventually develop an understanding that things cost money and money is needed for certain goods and services. However, they may not know where that money comes from or what its value really is. Teaching your kids even just the basics about money can help them with simple math. This knowledge will also help mold them into young savvy savers.

First Thing’s First: Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees

Many kids might think that in order to get money, all you have to do is go to the bank and ask for some. Take the time to explain where and how money comes from. You need to work hard to make money and the types of jobs they can obtain. This will help them better understand that there is more to money than it simply being at a bank. Depending on how old your children are, you can provide them money or other forms of payment. This can be such as snacks in exchange for completing chores or helping around the house.

Giving Them the Goods

Whether you decide to give your children money in exchange for chores or as an allowance, you can use this as an opportunity to teach them budgeting. The best way to teach kids how to manage their money is to give them some. If they decide to spend their allowance on a new toy, then they won’t have enough left over for when the ice cream truck rolls around. This may sound like a hassle to deal with at first. However, first-hand experience is a great teacher and it is more likely to be a lesson they will remember.

Spending vs. Saving

This can be a family activity that you do together, whether your child is helping you go grocery shopping or you are helping them look for the best deal on a toy they want. Looking at coupons, comparing prices, and making a budget together can be really helpful for forging good spending habits in the future. Plus, it can help teach them valuable, and thrifty, saving and spending skills.

Incorporating Fun Activities

There are many activities out there that can teach kids about money while at the same time helping with their math skills. These activities can be based around basic financial principles, including charitable giving, delayed gratification, budgeting, saving money, and compounding interest. For more in-depth reading on how these fun activities can be implemented read here.

Benefits of Personalized Children’s Books

Posted on April 13, 2018 | by KD Novelties

Personalized Children’s Books

Books are integral to a child’s relationship with reading. It is highly recommended that books and other reading material be a present part of a child’s life. This will help the child form a personal relationship with books and reading. This can apply to any kind of reading material, whether it be kids’ books, magazines, or otherwise. For children, it does help to have their own little library. Having books on hand makes them easily accessible while also giving them some options. However, not all books are created equally. In addition to any other book you can buy for a child, there are also personalized children’s books. Like any other book, personalized books can help kids develop a personal relationship with reading. However, these books are unique in that they can provide loads of benefits vs traditional books.

Developing an Interest in Reading

Personalized children’s books are great options for parents of reluctant readers. Whereby making the story about them, books can suddenly become much more interesting and pique their interest. As kids read more, they will learn to sympathize with the main characters of the stories they read. Personalized books make for a great introduction to develop an interest in reading.

Boosting Self-Esteem

Books where your child is the star can help boost their confidence in plenty of ways. It makes them the hero of their very own story, saving the day. It allows kids to see themselves interact with their favorite characters while they go on timeless adventures. Personalized children’s books can also help kids self-actualize. Especially if the focus of the book is to overcome a challenge they may be facing in their daily lives. For example like starting school or learning to potty train.

Benefits of Interactive Reading

By having your child act as the star of the very story they’re reading, there are more chances that your child will develop other reading and verbal skills as well. Studies have shown that kids are more likely to volunteer spontaneous speech while reading personalized books. They are more likely to speak for longer periods of time, too. By putting them in the story, kids’ brains may be more active and attentive to the details of the story, encouraging them to think more critically. Studies have also shown that kids introduced to new words in a personalized book were more likely to learn those words quicker than from non-personalized books.

Amazing Keepsakes

As kids get older, they may want to swap out their kiddie books for something more at their reading level, but personalized books make for great memories no matter how old your child is. Creating a personalized book for a specific holiday or a birthday can make a great gift, and they can also make a great pick me up if kids are going through a tough time. Personalized children’s books can be great keepsakes even when your child increases their reading level and they can continue to be fun to return to as time passes.

Fast Favorites

Studies have also shown that personalized books are more likely to become a child’s favorite, so you may find that they ask for them more frequently than other books at story time. They can be comforting to revisit, but the repetition can also help with word recognition and retention as well.