The document discusses big books, which are enlarged versions of children's books used for reading aloud in groups. It defines big books and explains that they help children learn print concepts. The document also provides guidelines for creating big books, such as using interactive themes and realistic illustrations. Finally, it outlines steps for using big books in the classroom, including doing repeated readings and extending the experience through activities like writing class versions of the stories.

1. Children’s Big Book:
Kinds, Guidelines
and Usage
Presented by:
Mr. Ronald Macanip Quileste, MAEd-SM
School of Education
Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan
Corrales Avenue, Cagayan de Oro City
April 15, 2015

2. Definition
Big books are large-size versions of
children’s literature. While not every
book for preschoolers is available in a
big book format, many are.
Everything about a big book is
larger—illustrations, print, and overall
size.

3. Definition
•Teachers use them when reading
aloud to a group because it is easy
for every child in the group to see
the pictures and words.

4. Definition
•Big books are a great tool for helping
children learn print concepts and
encouraging children to join in with
familiar words and predictable
phrases.

5. Definition
•Big book read-aloud sessions help
children understand left-to-right and
top-to-bottom sequences, the
difference between pictures and
print, and concepts such as every
book has a cover, title, pages,
author, and illustrator.

8. Kinds of Big Books
•Animal Books like North American
Mammals, Dogs or Fantastic Animals
•Cookbooks like foods of Egypt or
Bayou Cooking. They often have
pictures of the area.
Rita Hoppert, Cincinnati Public Schools Early Childhood Education

9. Kinds of Big Books
•Travel Books like Vietnam, Russia, Italy,
etc. Look for Books about Cincinnati and
Ohio because the kids see their own
neighborhood and state.
•History like History of Airplanes or
Baseball, or 60 Years of Life Magazine
Rita Hoppert, Cincinnati Public Schools Early Childhood Education

10. Kinds of Big Books
•Art Books like Norman Rockwell, Picasso,
or Great Impressionists
•Sports like Olympics, Basketball players or
Great Sports Legends
•Odd Topics like Strange Automobiles,
Christmas in America, Peaceable
Kingdom
Rita Hoppert, Cincinnati Public Schools Early Childhood Education

16. Guidelines in Making Big Books
1. Size
• Half cartolina size
2. Characterization
• Yes --- Bad Good
• No --- Good Bad
• X --- Death

17. Guidelines in Making Big Books
3. Themes
• The book should tell them what to do, not what
not to do ( triggers curiosity)
• The book should not tell also what should not be
• Supported by puppets for further elaboration
(optional)

18. Guidelines in Making Big Books
4. Style
• Chronological – sequential
5. Format
• Interactive

19. Guidelines in Making Big Books
6. Illustration
• Gender sensitive – equal number of boys and
girls in the story
• Realistic
• Spreadsheet

20. Guidelines in Making Big Books
7. Color
• High frequency – stimulating

21. Guidelines in Making Big Books
8. Handwriting
• Manuscript type
a. D’Nealian method (manuscript with slant)
b. Zaner-Bloser method (manuscript without
slant)
• Cursive type
a. Palmer method (cursive writing – introduced
second half of G2)

22. Guidelines in Making Big Books
9. Facial Expressions
• Use real faces of children of the same race
10. Dialogues
• Separated from mother paragraph

23. Guidelines in Making Big Books
11. Indention
• Should be consistent
• Drop caps are also used only at the beginning
of the story.
Example:
nceuponatime,inafarawayland,therelivedaprince.Hewas
verycrueltohissubjects.Henevershowedpatience.O

24. Guidelines in Making Big Books
12. Picture – text ratio
• 70% pictures
• 30% words
13. Plot
1. Problem
2. Solution (realistic)
3. Change

25. Guidelines in Making Big Books
14. Content
• Subject Integration
15. Durability
• Tightly covered each page and has a wipe-
clean finish

26. Using the Big Book
• The steps for using a Big Book depend greatly
upon the type of Big Book selected.
• Some Big Books are simply enlarged versions of
familiar picture books. These books contain a
great deal of text, or printed language, on
each page.
Project ELIPSS • Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood • 27 Horrabin Hall • Western Illinois University Macomb, IL 61455 • 309-298-1634 •
www.wiu.edu/thecenter/

27. Using the Big Book
• Such Big Books are intended to be used in ways
similar to ones used with any picture book.
• The advantage is that the pictures and print
can be easily seen by children in a small group
situation.
• Following are general steps for using
predictable Big Books with emergent readers.
Project ELIPSS • Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood • 27 Horrabin Hall • Western Illinois University Macomb, IL 61455 • 309-298-1634 •
www.wiu.edu/thecenter/

28. Using the Big Book
First Reading
Step One:
• Show the cover of the book, read the title,
author and illustrator. Ask children to suggest
what might happen in the book.
Project ELIPSS • Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood • 27 Horrabin Hall • Western Illinois University Macomb, IL 61455 • 309-298-1634 •
www.wiu.edu/thecenter/

29. Using the Big Book
First Reading
Step Two:
• Read the first page or so, using good expression,
and let children make now predictions about
the story. (Please note that some books contain
a rhythmic and /or rhyming quality.
Project ELIPSS • Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood • 27 Horrabin Hall • Western Illinois University Macomb, IL 61455 • 309-298-1634 •
www.wiu.edu/thecenter/

30. Using the Big Book
First Reading
Step Two:
• These are best read in their entirety, without
pausing during the reading to discuss or make
new predictions. Such discussion should be
saved for after the first reading of the book.)
Project ELIPSS • Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood • 27 Horrabin Hall • Western Illinois University Macomb, IL 61455 • 309-298-1634 •
www.wiu.edu/thecenter/

31. Using the Big Book
First Reading
Step Three:
• Continue reading the story, pausing to discuss
unfamiliar words and ideas, and to let children
discuss their predictions or make new ones.
• Ask children what they saw or heard in the story
that let them know their ideas were or were not
correct.
Project ELIPSS • Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood • 27 Horrabin Hall • Western Illinois University Macomb, IL 61455 • 309-298-1634 •
www.wiu.edu/thecenter/

32. Using the Big Book
First Reading
Step Four:
• Provide time for children to discuss the book.
Project ELIPSS • Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood • 27 Horrabin Hall • Western Illinois University Macomb, IL 61455 • 309-298-1634 •
www.wiu.edu/thecenter/

33. Using the Big Book
Rereading
Step One:
• Tell the children that you will point to each word
as it is read. Invite them to follow along, and to
join in as they are able.
• Use a pointer (unsharpened pencil, or 1/2 of a
dowel stick that has been sanded to remove
any rough edges.)
Project ELIPSS • Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood • 27 Horrabin Hall • Western Illinois University Macomb, IL 61455 • 309-298-1634 •
www.wiu.edu/thecenter/

34. Using the Big Book
Rereading
Step Two:
• Reread the Big Book, pointing in a word-by-
word fashion.
• Casually point out the front of the book, the title
page, and how you turn the pages from the top
right corner of the page.
Project ELIPSS • Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood • 27 Horrabin Hall • Western Illinois University Macomb, IL 61455 • 309-298-1634 •
www.wiu.edu/thecenter/

35. Using the Big Book
Rereading
Step Two:
• During later re-readings, point out that words
are separated by spaces, and that the print is
read from left-to-right and from top of the page
to the bottom.
Project ELIPSS • Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood • 27 Horrabin Hall • Western Illinois University Macomb, IL 61455 • 309-298-1634 •
www.wiu.edu/thecenter/

36. Using the Big Book
Rereading
Step Three:
• Leave the pointer and Big Book in the Library
Area for children to use on their own.
Project ELIPSS • Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood • 27 Horrabin Hall • Western Illinois University Macomb, IL 61455 • 309-298-1634 •
www.wiu.edu/thecenter/

37. Using the Big Book
Extending the Big Book Experience
• If possible, place small versions of the book in
the listening area with an audio tape. Children
can follow along as the tape is played.
• Add props to the reading area and/or
dramatic play area for children’s use in retelling
the story.

38. Using the Big Book
Extending the Big Book Experience
• Write the words to the Big Book on large paper
and invite children to add their own illustrations.
Project ELIPSS • Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood • 27 Horrabin Hall • Western Illinois University Macomb, IL 61455 • 309-298-1634 •
www.wiu.edu/thecenter/

39. Using the Big Book
Extending the Big Book Experience
• Invite children to help you write a class version
of the Big Book. For example, after reading the
Big Book version of Franklin in the Dark, children
might tell what they are afraid of. Write their
sentences on large paper and invite children to
illustrate their page. The pages can be bound
together to make a class Big Book.
Project ELIPSS • Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood • 27 Horrabin Hall • Western Illinois University Macomb, IL 61455 • 309-298-1634 •
www.wiu.edu/thecenter/

40. References:
Aguirre, Roderick Motril. (2014). Notes on Instructional Materials
Evaluation and Preparation for Differentiated Instruction.
Language and Literature Department. College of Liberal Arts
and Communication. De La Salle University – Dasamarinas
City of Dasamarinas, Cavite, Philippines.
Hoppert, Rita (2010). Big Books. Cincinnati Public Schools Early
Childhood Education. Cincinnati, United States of America
Project ELIPSS. (2012) Choosing and Using Big Books. Center for Best
Practices in Early Childhood. 27 Horrabin Hall. Western Illinois
University, Macomb, IL 61455

41. Thank You!
Namaste!