Language, reading, and writing skills begin to develop in the first three
years of life. Parents who begin reading to their children early on teach
the importance of this skill, and WIC Professionals can help communicate
this important message.
A Few Facts:
Children learn to love the sound of language even before they are able
to recognize printed words on a page.
Reading books aloud to children stimulates and expands their
imagination, and is the single most important activity for developing
their literacy skills.
The President of the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly recommends
reading daily to children beginning at the age of six months.
For infants up to 18 months, consider a "library" that includes a
collection of nursery rhymes, a bedtime book, a book of simple songs or
finger plays, a tactile cloth book or one with textured pages, a simple
animal picture book, and at least one "see-and-know" book that
introduces common items. Offer brief but frequent read-aloud
sessions each day from these books.
Reading provides a quiet time to spend with your child, and can be
a
bonding experience.
Early exposure to reading can lead to a successful start to
kindergarten, and it lays the groundwork for future success in life.
Storybooks can be a great way to teach your children
about food.
Recommended Books
from the West Virginia WIC Program.
*Books marked with an asterisk were included in the 2005 Reading Book
Distribution. All children under the age of five that participated
in WIC, received one of these books for their birthday.
Books
for Age
One
One Little
Spoonful by Susan Aliki
Eat by
Scholastic (English & Spanish)*
Baby Food*
Scratch and Sniff Food
In the Kitchen*
Bear Loves Food
Pat-A-Cake*
It's Snacktime by Ant Parker
Cookie Monster's Kitchen
Books
for Age Two
I Like a Snack on an Iceberg by
Iris Hisley Arno
The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe
Strawberry and the Big The Big Hungry Bear*
Peanut Butter and Jelly: A Play Rhyme!
Bear Loves Food
The Cheerios Play Book
Jamberry
Lunch
One Hungry Monster*
Ice Cream Everywhere*
Let's Eat (Spanish edition only)*
Books
for
Age Three
I Like a Snack on an Iceberg by Iris Hisley Arno
Ten Apples on Top*
The Little Red Hen
Peanut Butter and Jelly: A Play Rhyme!
Jamberry
The Crocodile and the Dentist*
I'll Never Not Eat a Tomato*
The Pizza That We Made
The Best Mouse Cookie
Hopsalot's Garden
If You Give a Moose a Muffin
One Hungry Monster*
Ord Eats a Pizza
Ice Cream Everywhere*
Pancakes for Breakfast
Today is Monday
Blueberries for Sal*
Lunch
Feast for 10
Everybody Cooks Rice*
Books
for Age Four
I Like a Snack on an Iceberg by Iris Hisley Arno
Growing Vegetable Soup
Scrambled Eggs Super
The Crocodile and the Dentist*
I'll Never Not Eat a Tomato*
How Many Teeth by Paul Showers
Peanut Butter and Jelly: A Play Rhyme!
Prudence's Book of Food
More Spaghetti, I say! (Hello Reader, Level 2)
Pig Picnic
Walter the Baker by Eric Carle
Beef Stew
Ord Eats a Pizza
If You Give a Moose a Muffin
Pete's A Pizza
The Carrot Seed
Ice Cream Everywhere*
Gregory the Terrible Eater*
Blue's Lunchbox
One Hungry Monster*
Feast for 10*
Everybody Cooks Rice*
Let's Eat (Spanish only)*
The Enormous Potato
The Ugly Vegetables by Grace Lin
Books
for Age Five
How Have I Grown*
The Crocodile and the Dentist*
I'll Never Not Eat a Tomato*
Scrambled Eggs Super
More Spaghetti, I say! (Hello Reader, Level 2)
Peanut Butter and Jelly: A Play Rhyme!
Eating the Alphabet
Walter the Baker by Eric Carle
Pig Picnic
How Many Teeth by Paul Showers
Beef Stew
Stone Soup
Ord Eats a Pizza
Prudence's Book of Food
The Ugly Vegetables by Grace Lin
Mr. Wolf's Pancakes
Alphabet Soup by Kate Banks
Pancakes, Pancakes by Eric Carle
Bread and Jam for Frances
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
The Berenstain Bears Cook-It! Breakfast for Mamma
Gregory the Terrible Eater*
One Hungry Monster*
Let's Eat (Spanish only)*
Feast for 10
Everybody Cooks Rice*
