Whitefield Academy Blog

8 Tips For Choosing Read Alouds For Young Children

by | Mar 24, 2022 | Book List, Character, Classical Christian, Education, Elementary School, Kindergarten, Library Finds, Parenting, Read Alouds | 0 comments

Do you want your young child to relish your reading time together?  In her article, ‘What Is a Classical Christian Library?’, Whitefield Academy Librarian, Kris Guensche, suggests some guidelines for choosing read alouds that will ignite the imaginations of young children.  

Mrs. Guensche states that our picture books are ‘meant to awaken children to the world of literature through words and illustrations which convey beauty.’ She goes on to say that Whitefield’s picture books are chosen because they ‘engage and inspire younger students to a sense of wonder and excitement’. Below are eight of the criteria by which Mrs. Guensche suggests we may judge a book to read aloud to young children, followed by some examples taken from the great selection here in our Whitefield library

She suggests that a quality picture book does one or more of the following: 

1.      It conveys beauty in both illustrations and words.

2.      It inspires a sense of wonder, excitement or joy. 

3.      It portrays good versus evil. 

4.      It demonstrates truth and consequences. 

5.      It shows right and proper behavior. 

6.      It teaches loving God and serving others. 

7.      It makes good use of literary techniques such as rhyme and repetition. 

8.      It tells a story that will appeal to a young imagination. 

 By exposing these younger students to such literature, we hope to encourage them to develop good literary habits and an enduring affection for great stories.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

by Beatrix Potter

Blueberries for Sal

by Robert McCloskey

The Quiltmaker’s Gift

by Jeffrey Brumbeau

The Velveteen Rabbit

by Margery Williams

Be Nice to Spiders

by Margaret Bloy Graham

Whistle for Willie

by Ezra Jack Keats

Because I Love You

by Max Lucado

The Swan Princess

by Hans Christian Anderson

Sleeping Beauty

by The Brothers Grimm

Penny and Her Marble

by Kevin Henkes

Petunia

by Roger Duvoisin

The Cow Who Fell in the Canal

by Phyllis Krasilovsky

The Little Engine That Could

by Watty Piper

A Parable About the King

by Beth Moore

Chrysanthemum

by Kevin Henkes

Andy and the Lion

by James Daugherty

The Blacksmith’s Gift

by Dan T. Davis

The Baker’s Dozen

retold by Aaron Shepard

reading list cta

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