Let’s look at some key ways of providing positive, engaging, and playful experiences with books and print in preschool.

Read-Alouds for Promoting Motivation and Knowledge about Print Concepts

Prekindergarten teachers should read with children every day. Reading rituals should be relaxing, pleasant, and interactive to promote warm feelings that linger long after the story is over. Powerful and successful read-alouds make books available to children and build their motivation for reading. Children who have many rich experiences with books before encountering formal reading instruction are motivated to learn to read in the early grades.

1. What kinds of books motivate children? Great books! Take time to preview and carefully select your books for reading aloud. Be sure the books you choose will interest children. High-quality books have a rich vocabulary, varied sentence structure, and illustrations that are appealing and attractive to support children’s understanding of the book. Award-winning books such as the Caldecott Award winners, the American Library Association Notable Children's Books, or Children’s Choice books, are examples of high-quality literature. Throughout the year, try to include a variety of books. Include alphabet books for teaching letters, storybooks for developing a sense of story structure, informational books for developing background knowledge and motivation, and word-play books for developing phonological awareness.
    
2. Before you begin reading, introduce the book by providing some background information so children will have some idea of what to expect while listening to the story. You might ask children a question that helps them relate the story they are about to hear to their own lives. Look at the cover of the book and share the names of the author and illustrator. Invite children to predict what might happen in the story.