Environments Project Exemplar- Books

1. THE MAGIC OF
BOOKS IN EARLY
CHILDHOOD
EDUCATION
HANNAH ATANACIO

2. WHY ARE BOOKS IMPORTANT FOR CHILDREN?
• Books help children gain new insight of the world.
• They build a child’s vocabulary.
• Encourage children to overcome fears (Pulimeno, Piscitelli, Colazzo, 2020)

3. INFANT & TODDLER
ACCOMMODATIONS
• Create a cozy and well monitored area for each child. (Beanbag chairs, fluffy
pillows, blankets, etc.) (Harms, Clifford, Cryer, 2003)
• A minimum of 6 books. (Cryer, Riley, 2004)
• Infants tend to throw and chew up books. The child is probably interested in it
so have someone hold them and show them the pictures. (Cryer, Riley, 2004)
• Toddlers should be encouraged to say words out loud from books. (Cryer, Riley,
2004)
• For toddlers, books should be about experiences. For infants, they should
include simple pictures. (Cryer, Riley, 2004)
• Some books are accessible for all children. (Harms, Clifford, Cryer, 2003)
• A diverse and wide selection of books. (Harms, Clifford, Cryer, 2003)
• Keep books appropriate yet challenging (Harms, Clifford, Cryer, 2003)
• Constantly replace and cycle out new and old books (Harms, Clifford, Cryer,
2003)

4. SPECIAL NEEDS
ACCOMMODATIONS
• Let the child take a break if they feel
frustrated or overstimulated (Wise,
2022)
• Create a quiet reading space for kids to
focus (Wise, 2022)
• Read aloud the book to those who need
it (Wise, 2022)
• Provide audiobooks and headphones
(Wise, 2022)
• Provide books with braille (Wise, 2022)
• Create enough room for the reading
space to be wheelchair accessible
(Wise, 2022)

5. CULTURAL ACCOMMODATIONS
• Provide books with language translations
• Provide books that teach about different cultures
• Label the books with key words in that child’s language (Spanish, Korean, etc.)

6. MATERIALS
• Need 3-5 books from each category
(Whitener, n.d.)

7. REALISTIC, FACTUAL, FANTASY, PEOPLE, ANIMALS
Realistic Fiction Factual books Fantasy books People books Animal books
(Whitener, n.d.)
Aggie the Brave
By: Lori Riles
I Am Neil Armstrong
By: Brad Meltzer
Dragons Love Tacos
By: Adam Rubin
Doctors and What They Do
By: Liesbet Slegers
The View at the
Zoo
By Kathleen Long
Bostrom

8. BOARD OR CLOTH BOOKS WITH REALISTIC PICTURES
OF….
Transportation People Animals Routines Objects
(Whitener, n.d.)
Going on a Plane
By: Anne Civardi
All Are Welcome
By: Alexandra Penfold
Just Like the Animals
By: ToBe ReadyForLife
My Good Morning
By: Kim Crockett Corson
B is for Bicycles
By: Janine and Scott
Fitzgerald

9. BOOKS THAT CAN RELATE
TO REAL LIFE EVENTS…
(Whitener, n.d.)

10. FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES
Children can read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and
then during arts and crafts time they can follow up by creating
their own hungry caterpillar.
(Whitener, n.d.)

11. PROMOTING DIVERSITY
• Culture: I will assure that children have access to books that
teach about various cultures and celebrate our uniqueness
• Age: I will make sure each book is developmentally
appropriate for their age.
• Ability: I will make sure that I’m providing books that are
accessible for children with disabilities.
• Race: I will make sure to provide books that teach about
equality and acceptance. Also, I will provide books that
feature children of all races so that my classroom remains
inclusive.
• Gender: I will make sure to make books available to every
child, regardless of gender. I will let the child choose what
they are interested in reading instead of this is what boys do
or this is what girls do.

12. SKILLS GAINED FROM BOOKS
• Based off the materials given, children
can learn about:
• Historical figures
• Historic events
• Animal sounds and texture
• Daily routine and structure
• Career choices

13. TEACHERS ROLE
• Providing books is vital to childhood development. In fact, children tend to read more and better when
they have easy access to books. The more they can practice, the more their reading skills and
comprehension increase. (Lao, 2005)
• Providing books is essential for families who may not be able to afford new books. (Lao, 2005)
• Teachers must provide diverse options to fulfill all students needs.
• Be a support system as reading can be comforting for kids going through difficult times.

14. 4 DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS: APL1. CURIOSITY AND
INITIATIVE
• Curiosity at this age leads children to ask things like, “How does that work?” (VA ELDS, pg. 15)
• With the materials given, they can ask and answer certain questions they have by reading like ”How do
planes fly?” or “How do veterinarians help animals?”
• They are very excited to learn new things at this stage, and reading is a great way to do so.

15. 4 DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS: APL3. EXECUTIVE
FUNCTIONS AND COGNITIVE SELF-REGULATION
• Books can aid children in finding more than one solution to a problem.
• They build confidence allowing children to take initiative. (VA ELDS, pg. 22)

16. 4 DEVELOPMENT
INDICATORS: SED2.
EMOTIONAL COMPETENCE
• Books can teach empathy and acceptance of
others.
• Children can use books to understand why they
feel the way they do and how to not hurt others.
(VA ELDS, pg. 28)

17. 4 DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS: CLLD1.
COMMUNICATION
• Books can teach children how to communicate with people. (VA ELDS, pg. 38)
• At this age, through reading, they can start to ask sensible questions related to what’s happening in a
story. (VA ELDS, pg. 38)
• Through books, children can start to learn how to tell stories in the right time sequence. (VA ELDS, pg.
39)

18. CONCLUSION
• Reading is a fundamental part in any
child’s development. As teachers, it is
our jobs to be their support systems.
Providing children with access to
diverse, colorful, and adventurous
books is one of the building blocks to
helping them become independent and
free-thinking. We should all work hard
to help all children become the best
versions of themselves!

19. REFERENCES
• Cryer, D, Harms, T, and Riley, C. (2004). All about the ITERS-R. New York, NY: Teacher’s
College Press.
• Cryer, D, Harms, T, and Riley, C. (2003). All about the ECERS-R. New York, NY: Teacher’s
College Press.
• Harms, T, Clifford, R, and Cryer, D. (2003). Infant toddler environmental rating scale.
New York, NY: Teacher’s College Press.
• Lao, C. (2005). Reading horizons: A journal of literacy and language arts. Reading Horizons. Retrieved from
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1166&context=reading_horizons&httpsredir=1
• Pulimeno, M., Piscitelli, P., & Colazzo, S. (2020, January 28). Children's literature to promote students' global development and
Wellbeing. Health promotion perspectives. Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7036210/#:~:text=Children's%20storybooks%20not%20only%20provide,problematic
%20circumstances%20of%20the%20life.
• Virginia Department of Education. Virginia Early Learning and Development Standards. Retrieved from
https://www.doe.virginia.gov/early-childhood/curriculum/va-elds-birth-5.pdf
• Whitener, C. (n.d.). Activities.
• Wise, R. (2022, December 7). 22 school accommodations available for children with special needs. Education and Behavior. Retrieved
from https://educationandbehavior.com/what-accommodations-are-available-for-students-with-disabilities/