Begin Smart is one of Cool Baby Kid’s all-time favorite children’s book series. We’ve written before about using the Begin Smart series for helping to teach children to read. The new Spring collection includes books for every age group which is a speciality of Begin Smart as each book is written and illustrated specifically for each developmental stage from newborn to 24 months old. A panel of experts collaborate to ensure each selection is a perfect fit for every age. Here’s a breakdown of the new Begin Smart titles:
The kids’ favorite are “What Shapes Do You See?” with flaps that reveal various pictures for each shape such as “a frame” or “a slice of cheese” for a square. The potty books are ideal for gender specific gifts. We have a slew of potty training books and like the Begin Smart illustrations more than any other. Also be sure to check out the website for specific information on reading to each age group as well as helpful hints such as a reminding us that reading doesn’t have to be limited to bedtime–mealtime and bathtime are great too.
Cool Giveaway: Enter to win an entire set of Begin Smart books (5 winners!) by visiting their site and commenting back here with on reading tip you found. US Residents Only. Expires 8/27/10. Please note, due to technical difficulties in our switch from Blogger to WordPress, if you entered the original Petunia giveaway you will need to re-enter on this post. Thank you!
Disclosure: A sample product was provided for review purposes; all opinions are 100% ours. Read our full disclaimer and frequently asked questions and be sure to subscribe to Cool Baby Kid via RSS or email for winner notification and exclusive discounts and giveaways.
Read together at mealtimes since you'll have a captive audience!
It's important to read books with your baby that have pictures and sounds that they can relate to and practice saying. Flaps and easy to turn pages are also good!
imsosweepy { at } gmail { dot } com
Babies love to bang, drop, and throw things. Books should be sturdy enough to withstand the toss test. Babies might like to crawl toward a book, books should be around and handy always!
pumpkinlady430@yahoo.com
When a book doubles as a toy, it becomes even more lovable, and that encourages your baby to learn to love books in every form.
dropcqueen at yahoo dot com
I learned that when you read to a baby, you are helping to build their vocabulary
dmkayes@gmail.com
Snuggling and reading to your newborn and young babies can help them develop language.
I learned that playing games like “I Spy” while you're reading to your two-year-old makes reading more fun and helps them learn, too.
Love these books, thanks for the great giveaway!
ladyufshalott at yahoo dot com
I learned that you should read to your newborn because it shows them reading is good and it helps them learn language.
I learned to make reading an interactive experience.
I learned: Your baby is discovering the meaning of new words every day — even if he doesn’t have the ability to speak them yet.
Looks for books with rhythm and rhyme.
I love the tip, Expand your questions. Ask, “Why does the penguin baby cuddle up close to its daddy?” “When do you need to wear mittens?”
Find books with texture and help her to reach out and touch the pages. Great tip! My baby likes the feel of things in her hands and on her tiny toes
rmartinclarke at gmail dot com
a tip would be When your toddler begins to talk, look for books that have some of her first words in them.
amyfedorchak1 AT gmail DOT com
When you read to your baby, you are helping her develop a bigger vocabulary.
rjwhiggins@aol.com
Reading to your baby will help your relationship with your child deepen and grow. And your child will grow up to love to learn to read. Ive got 3 grandchildren potty training
vlbelk(at)hotmail.com
one tip is Put books in every room your baby spends time in, and keep them where he can get to them easily
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
twitter follower (chelleb36)
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
like on fb (michelle b)
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
Play games while you are reading with your toddler, such as “I Spy” with the pictures in the books.
“Sharing books encourages conversation and language development. Toddlers who are read to develop bigger vocabularies and become better readers.” This is all great advice!
One tip I found is: Don’t worry about making mistakes. Even if you mispronounce a character’s name every single time, your baby’s still going to think that it’s the perfect way to read.
I follow on facebook!
Jennifer Smith Stewart
I subscribe via email!
subscriber
i learned snuggling and reading with newborns and young babies helps them develop language
One reading tip for ages 12-18 months is “Read your toddler’s favorite book — again and again and again! Exact repetition is comforting at this age.”
blondie_31971(at)yahoo(dot)com
When a book doubles as a toy it becomes more lovable.
I learned you can set a “three questions per page” limit with a toddler to keep it from taking an hour to get through a single book.
I like the tip about making reading interactive when we are more interactive when reading with my son it seems he retains a lot more thanks for the chance eaglesforjack@gmail.com
A great reading tip I learned: Get down on the floor with your baby so he can see the expression on your face change as you read aloud.