Write & Read to Toddlers

How can older students make a difference in the lives of younger ones? Create and share interactive storybooks to bring everyone together!

• 1.

  Take a look at colorful, fun toddler books, especially those that inspire children to interact with the book. What do you think makes these books appealing to toddlers? What picture books do you remember? Why?

• 2.

  Think of ways you can make an interactive book. Invent a simple story or concept that will delight a young child. Use your imagination or elaborate on an idea like these: An animal goes on a search for its habitat (ocean, pond, desert). Match a vehicle to its use (fire truck, garbage truck, bus). Dress a child or animal for the weather.

• 3.

  Sketch ideas for your illustrations with Crayola Twistables® Crayons on plain paper. Plan how many pages your story will be and what will happen on each set of facing pages.

• 4.

  Here’s how to make a book with a character or object that moves from page to page. Adapt these ideas to work with your topic and story line.

• 5.

  Decorate the title page on the first sheet of a Mead Primary Composition Book. Be sure to include the author’s name (that’s you!). Write a sentence or two of your story on each page. Draw backgrounds that fit the story. Make them diverse and colorful!

• 6.

  On a recycled file folder, draw the person, animal, or object that will move from page to page. Make it about the size of your palm. Use Crayola Scissors to cut it out. Attach the cutout to the book with ribbon using Crayola School Glue. Air-dry the glue.

• 7.

  Arrange to share your books with children at story time at a public library, local child care centers, or other early childhood programs. As you read the storybook, move the character from page to page and setting to setting. Invite toddlers you read with

Benefits

• Students evaluate the qualities of books written for an early childhood audience.
• Students write and design an original, interactive toddler book.
• Students read their own books with younger children.

Adaptations

• With your classmates, brainstorm ideas for toddler books. Start with a word such as moon. For 5 minutes, write down everything anyone says that they associate with that word.
• With your classmates, brainstorm ideas for toddler books. Start with a word such as moon. For 5 minutes, write down everything anyone says that they associate with that word.
• Authors have to make lots of changes to their books before they finally get them published. Take each book through a revision and editing process. Read the draft (and show the sketches) for your book to another person to ask for feedback. Revise as needed. Next have another student read your book to you exactly as it is written. When you hear funny things, such as mispronounced words (because of a misspelling) or a reader who is running out of breath (because you forgot a period), make changes on your draft.
• Assessment: Work with students to create a rubric for evaluation. What makes a toddler book good and what makes it great? Choose categories (story, illustrations, humor, interaction) and establish a rating system. Use the same rubric to evaluate published books.