What are your favorite literacy activities?
What books are a MUST HAVE For all daycare centres?
Do you have a favorite author?
Where do you get your books for daycare? Do you frequent yard sales, library sales, used book stores, Chapters/Amazon?
Does your centre accept used book donations?
Are you involved with scholastic?
How do you get your kids excited about reading?
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Activities that I have implemented in placement (I'm a student) that I find work extremely well is making the story come alive. Costumes, props, creative dramatics, creative movement, audio books, television remakes or even the animated tone in which you personally read the book aloud in can make the story really stand out for a child.
My favourite book is either "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" by Mo Willems or "It's a Book" by Lane Smith. I must admit the latter refers to the donkey in the book as a "jackass" which with younger children (2-3s) I suggest changing to "donkey". 4-5s who can read the word "jackass" may realize the word is not just being used as the characters name but also for satirical emphasis and it might not be best to read this with them if you think they would call you out for not reading the proper word aloud. (It wouldn't be great if a child went home saying, "It's a book, jackass!" to their parents or siblings) The pigeon books are a must-have, especially for kindergarten children and older. It is one that I have had children beg to be read twice because they love the aspect of participating. (It reads like a Dora the Explorer episode where the children are expected to answer when read aloud)There are a few in the series and can be found at Chapters/Coles/Indigo and online at Amazon.ca
I began getting my books from Chapters but as the broke college student stigma consumed me as a reality, I began to scour bookshelves at thrift stores and garage sales and found some rare gems in mint condition. If I feel like I can splurge a little, I will occasionally order from the Scholastic Inc. book orders.
I have interested children I have worked with in reading by having a reading circle where they wouldn't expect it. For example, we had a reading circle once at an outdoor summer day camp and the children loved it. Breaking from the normal sit-down-at-carpet-teacher-reads-aloud-children-sit-quietly-and-listen routine and doing something unexpected and fun may be a way to interest children more in reading.
Miss Christi, your suggestions are great. I have also had great success getting books at the Book Depository. With lower prices then chapters and amazon and free shipping! That being said, if it was a book you needed for a specific theme, order early as the books are shipped from the UK and take a week or more to arrive.
My favourites for voice and animation as well as student participation are Robert Munsch books. His use of repetition and onomatopoeia are great to gets kids involved in the book.