Toy Books: An Important Tool for Literacy Development

If you go into the children’s section of any book store, you will see books made of very sturdy materials that are developed for babies and for children up to and including the preschool and kindergarten age years. These books may be made of plastic, heavy cloth or fabric, and cardboard (board books) that is sometime even padded. There are books with accompanying puppets and dolls, books with different surfaces to feel, books with flaps, etc. etc. These books can be called Toy Books. They are books to be not only viewed and read but to be played with and manipulated by babies, toddlers , and even for the younger elementary grades. Many of the books for early ages are indestructable, so there is no worry as to their being torn and destroyed by the youngest of children. They can be thrown about and chewed upon, but they will stand the test of time. They are also usually soft if they made of cloth, for example, so they are safe for babies. In addition, some plastic ones are padded and are even meant for playing with when bathing  in the tub!

The importance of these toy books to your child is that they are the very first introduction to the written page or book. The book may only have only one picture on each page, a picture along with one letter, or a scene accompanied only with a one word text and/or a small sentence. Many Toy Books have a familiar story or nursery rhyme theme.  Almost always the books have bright colors and large, singular, and clear images to entice children to gaze at the pictures. Sometimes, the books have photos of real children and animals (which children so love). In addition, many of these books provide an  interactive  feature. Children may be able to touch or pat  an animal and feel its fur; they can put their finger in the hole; they can open a door,or lift a flap for discovery; etc.  Some pictures actually “pop up” (Hence, the “Pop-Up Book”).giving the picture a three dimensional appearance. There are even “Scratch and Sniff Books” that incorporate the sense of smell into the experience.All of these books can be classified as Toy Books.

The child can see and touch the book, learn to turn pages (an important emergent literacy step), and hear language as it is also read to them. The books are meant to be shared, as an adult or older child can read it to them. The familiarity of this book then often lends itself to a child actually “reading” the book from memory (again, another important step in the reading process). In this way, the child learns language. In addition, many children’s books repeat words. This leads to forming a memory trace within the child of the letters and the sound of the word(s) as it is heard and viewed frequently. This then leads to the book being read by the child and the book becoming the child’s favorite.

Newer toy books on the market also have auditory features. They may actually talk to the child, or, if he or she interactively presses a button, the book will say a word or sing a song.  Again, this helps in the reading process, as through repetition the child will hear the word(s) and see the word(s), and this will later facilitate making that important reading connection. Books and accompanying tapes or CDs act in a similar way, as a child can play it and replay it many times.

The next time, then, you as a parent, friend, or relative of a baby or child pass an aisle containing these colorful, playful books that look indeed enticing for children, don’t pass them up. They make great gifts! It is highly likely that your intended little one will enjoy these books both in play and as a learning tool. The early books will lead a child to a love of shared reading as you or someone reads the book to the child and models the reading process for and with them. The baby or child will love touching or feeling the book, and, again,  three of the senses are involved in the process (seeing, hearing, and the kinesthetic experience of touching). The Toy Book will, most importantly, instill in the child a love of books as a pleasurable, fun experience. This will lay the foundation for a lifetime of the enjoyment of reading.

Marsha K. Britton  Ed. D
Reading and Language Arts