Don’t just read the words—perform them! 🎤📚 Using different voices, facial expressions, and dramatic pauses makes books exciting and helps kids understand emotions and storytelling.
✨ Bonus: Your child will think you're the best storyteller ever!
Book featured here: Eat What Bugs You
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Choose a Consistent Time: Whether it’s right after breakfast or before bedtime, pick a time that fits easily into your day. Consistency helps your child know what to expect, making reading a natural part of their routine.
Create a Reading Space: Set up a cozy corner with books, pillows, and maybe a soft blanket. Having a dedicated spot makes reading feel special.Remember, the goal isn’t perfection—it’s creating a positive experience around books. Over time, this routine will nurture a lifelong love of reading in your little one.
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Everyday moments are the perfect time to nurture your child’s growing vocabulary. Keep it fun and conversational, and you’ll be amazed at how quickly they pick up new words!
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Create a Role-Play Adventure: If you’ve just read a book like Little Farm, encourage your child to act out the story. They can pretend to be a farmer, gather "animals" (stuffed toys), and even practice animal sounds. This kind of imaginative play strengthens comprehension and vocabulary.
Hands-On Crafts: Bring the story to life with a creative activity. After reading a book like Otterly Valentines, you can make Valentine’s Day cards together, just like the otters in the story. Crafting helps kids develop fine motor skills while reinforcing the book’s message.
Explore Through Play: Books about nature or science, like
Space!: An Early Literacy Exploration, lend themselves well to sensory play. Build a "space station" with cardboard boxes or create a sensory bin filled with "moon sand."
By integrating play with storytelling, you’re making learning interactive and fun. Your child isn’t just passively listening—they’re actively engaging with the material, strengthening their memory, and building essential skills in the process. Best of all, you’re creating lasting memories together!
Use Voices and Expressions: Bring characters to life by giving them distinct voices and adding dramatic expressions. Your child will love hearing how the lion roars or how the bunny whispers.
Ask Questions: Pause during the story to ask open-ended questions like, “What do you think will happen next?” or “Why do you think the character did that?” These questions encourage critical thinking and keep your little one engaged.
Act It Out: Turn storytime into playtime by acting out scenes together. If you’re reading about animals, make the sounds or mimic their movements. This physical connection to the story can make it more memorable.
Encourage Predictions: Before turning the page, ask your child to guess what might happen next. This simple activity builds curiosity and narrative skills.
Make It Personal: Relate the story to your child’s experiences. If a character is going to the park, talk about your last park visit.
Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to make storytime interactive. The goal is to create a joyful, shared experience that sparks your child’s imagination and builds a lifelong love of reading.
Encouraging a love for reading in the digital age can feel challenging, but it’s absolutely possible with a little creativity and consistency! For parents of children aged 0-5, the key is to make reading an enjoyable and interactive part of your daily routine.
By combining traditional and modern approaches, you can nurture a love for reading that thrives in any age, helping your child build skills and enjoy the magic of stories for years to come.
Making everyday moments into learning opportunities for your 0-4 year olds is easier than you might think! Young children are naturally curious and absorb information from their surroundings like little sponges. By weaving simple learning activities into your daily routine, you can help prepare them for school while having fun together.
Mealtime, for example, is a perfect time to introduce colors, shapes, and numbers. Count the grapes on their plate or talk about the colors of different foods. Bath time can become a lesson in science and vocabulary by exploring concepts like sinking and floating or naming body parts.
Books by Cassie Veselovsky, like Little Farm and Five Brown and Furry Otters, are excellent tools to make these moments even more engaging. Use them to sing songs, practice counting, or spark conversations. Singing together reinforces language skills, and Veselovsky’s books often include fun activities like shadow matching and coloring to extend the learning.
Even during errands or playtime, you can point out letters on signs, play “I Spy” games, or practice animal sounds. The key is to keep it light and playful so your child stays interested.
Everyday moments are filled with opportunities to teach. With a little creativity, you’ll turn ordinary routines into extraordinary learning experiences.
Taken in the summer of 2004 at the Reading Rocks in Rockford author event, here is a glimpse into the why I write and publish children's books:
Singing with your children is not just a joyful way to spend time together—it’s also an amazing tool for developing early literacy skills! Songs introduce kids to rhythm, rhyme, and repetition, which are essential building blocks for learning to read. Plus, when you sing, you’re naturally breaking down words into smaller sounds, helping children develop phonemic awareness in a fun and engaging way.
Cassie Veselovsky’s children’s books are perfect for bringing the magic of singing into your daily routine. Her titles, like Down on the Farm and Llama : a Bingo Book, are designed to be sung or read aloud, adding a playful and interactive element to storytime. Singing these books not only keeps kids entertained but also helps them pick up new vocabulary and improve their listening skills without even realizing they’re learning.
Take Little Farm and Cars, RVs, Trucks and Vans, for example. These books combine catchy tunes with imaginative themes, making it easy for children to explore different concepts while having fun. Singing these books together creates a relaxed environment where kids feel confident joining in and expressing themselves. Plus, Veselovsky’s books often include activities like writing practice, shadow matching, and coloring pages, ensuring that the learning and fun continue beyond the songs.
Singing also strengthens the bond between you and your child. When you share songs and stories, you’re not only teaching them valuable skills but also creating warm, happy memories. Veselovsky’s books make it easy to turn any moment into a learning opportunity filled with laughter and love.
So, grab a book, pick a tune, and start singing! With every note, you’re helping your child build the skills they need to succeed while filling your home with music and joy.
I have received my author copies of Five Fresh Donuts and Down on the Farm from IngramSpark! Overall I am happy with the quality. They are quite similar to Amazon KDP. I think the images in my Amazon books is slightly more crisp, but for the cost difference, I have no complaints.
Both books will be released February 5, 2025 in celebration of my dad's 101st birthday.
Reading rhyming books with children aged 0-4 is a powerful way to build their early literacy skills while creating lasting memories. Rhymes are more than just fun—they play a vital role in a child’s language development by introducing rhythm, repetition, and phonemic awareness. These elements help young learners recognize sounds and patterns in words, laying a strong foundation for future reading success.
Rhyming books naturally engage children’s attention through their musical quality. As adults read or sing rhymes, children begin to predict word endings, improving their memory and comprehension skills. This interaction strengthens the bond between child and caregiver, making reading time a cherished routine.
Cassie Veselovsky’s children’s books offer a playful and interactive way to incorporate rhymes into your daily reading. Her titles, such as Five Little Hedgehogs and Down in the Valley, are designed to be sung or read aloud, turning storytime into a lively and engaging experience. Singing the books’ familiar tunes makes it easier for children to participate, fostering confidence and a love for books.
Books like Otterly Valentines and Five Fresh Donuts go a step further by incorporating counting and other early math concepts, enriching your child’s learning in a fun and approachable way. Activities at the end of the books encourage deeper engagement, such as practicing writing, coloring, or answering questions about the story.
Reading rhyming books is also a great opportunity to model language. Children absorb new vocabulary and develop stronger listening skills when exposed to rich and varied text. Veselovsky’s stories create the perfect blend of education and entertainment, making early literacy development feel like playtime.
By making rhyming books a part of your daily routine, you’re setting the stage for your child’s academic success while sharing special moments filled with laughter and learning.
But oh what timing! I have TWO new books coming out in February and haven't been able to do much at all in the way of advertising. It's been on my mind, but my body just did not have the energy to get onto the computer and do all the necessary work. I am trying something new too!
Instead of Amazon KDP, I decided to give IngramSpark a try. So far the process has been very similar in terms of uploading the book and waiting for approval. All of that went well, but having been producing books for a couple of years now, I do feel comfortable in that arena. Marketing is still a mystery.
I have done a few ads on my Instagram page and a few mentions on Facebook, but I really do not know what else to do. Maybe when my author copies arrive I will do a video. We shall see! Wish me luck and stay well!