Children's Big Book: Preparation, Usage, and Guidelines

Children’s Big Book:Kinds, Guidelines

and UsagePresented by:

Mr. Ronald Macanip Quileste, MAEd-SM

School of Education

Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan

Corrales Avenue, Cagayan de Oro City

April 15, 2015

DefinitionBig books are large-size versions of children’s literature. While not every book for preschoolers is available in a big book format, many are. Everything about a big book is larger—illustrations, print, and overall size.

Definition•Teachers use them when reading aloud to a group because it is easy for every child in the group to see the pictures and words.

Definition•Big books are a great tool for helping children learn print concepts and encouraging children to join in with familiar words and predictable phrases.

Definition•Big book read-aloud sessions help children understand left-to-right and top-to-bottom sequences, the difference between pictures and print, and concepts such as every book has a cover, title, pages, author, and illustrator.

Kinds of Big Books•Animal Books like North American Mammals, Dogs or Fantastic Animals

•Cookbooks like foods of Egypt or Bayou Cooking. They often have pictures of the area.

Rita Hoppert, Cincinnati Public Schools Early Childhood Education

Kinds of Big Books•Travel Books like Vietnam, Russia, Italy, etc. Look for Books about Cincinnati and Ohio because the kids see their own neighborhood and state.

•History like History of Airplanes or Baseball, or 60 Years of Life Magazine


Kinds of Big Books•Art Books like Norman Rockwell, Picasso, or Great Impressionists

•Sports like Olympics, Basketball players or Great Sports Legends

•Odd Topics like Strange Automobiles, Christmas in America, Peaceable Kingdom


Guidelines in Making Big Books

1. Size

•Half cartolina size

2. Characterization

• Yes --- Bad Good

•No --- Good Bad

•X --- Death


3. Themes

• The book should tell them what to do, not what not to do ( triggers curiosity)

• The book should not tell also what should not be

• Supported by puppets for further elaboration (optional)


4. Style

•Chronological – sequential

5. Format

• Interactive


6. Illustration

•Gender sensitive – equal number of boys and girls in the story

•Realistic

• Spreadsheet


7. Color

•High frequency – stimulating


8. Handwriting

•Manuscript type

a. D’Nealian method (manuscript with slant)

b. Zaner-Bloser method (manuscript without slant)

•Cursive type

a. Palmer method (cursive writing – introduced second half of G2)


9. Facial Expressions

•Use real faces of children of the same race

10. Dialogues

• Separated from mother paragraph


11. Indention

• Should be consistent

•Drop caps are also used only at the beginning of the story.

Example:

nce upon a time, in a faraway land, there lived a prince. He was

very cruel to his subjects. He never showed patience. O


12. Picture – text ratio

• 70% pictures

• 30% words

13. Plot

1. Problem

2. Solution (realistic)

3. Change


14. Content

• Subject Integration

15. Durability

• Tightly covered each page and has a wipe-clean finish

Using the Big Book

• The steps for using a Big Book depend greatly upon the type of Big Book selected.

• Some Big Books are simply enlarged versions of familiar picture books. These books contain a great deal of text, or printed language, on each page.

Project ELIPSS • Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood • 27 Horrabin Hall • Western Illinois University Macomb, IL 61455 • 309-298-1634 • www.wiu.edu/thecenter/

Using the Big Book

• Such Big Books are intended to be used in ways similar to ones used with any picture book.

• The advantage is that the pictures and print can be easily seen by children in a small group situation.

• Following are general steps for using predictable Big Books with emergent readers.


Using the Big Book

First Reading

Step One:

• Show the cover of the book, read the title, author and illustrator. Ask children to suggest what might happen in the book.


Using the Big Book

First Reading

Step Two:

•Read the first page or so, using good expression, and let children make now predictions about the story. (Please note that some books contain a rhythmic and /or rhyming quality.


Using the Big Book

First Reading

Step Two:

• These are best read in their entirety, without pausing during the reading to discuss or make new predictions. Such discussion should be saved for after the first reading of the book.)


Using the Big Book

First Reading

Step Three:

•Continue reading the story, pausing to discuss unfamiliar words and ideas, and to let children discuss their predictions or make new ones.

•Ask children what they saw or heard in the story that let them know their ideas were or were not correct.


Using the Big Book

First Reading

Step Four:

• Provide time for children to discuss the book.


Using the Big Book

Rereading

Step One:

• Tell the children that you will point to each word as it is read. Invite them to follow along, and to join in as they are able.

•Use a pointer (unsharpened pencil, or 1/2 of a dowel stick that has been sanded to remove any rough edges.)


Using the Big Book

Rereading

Step Two:

•Reread the Big Book, pointing in a word-by-word fashion.

•Casually point out the front of the book, the title page, and how you turn the pages from the top right corner of the page.


Using the Big Book

Rereading

Step Two:

•During later re-readings, point out that words are separated by spaces, and that the print is read from left-to-right and from top of the page to the bottom.


Using the Big Book

Rereading

Step Three:

• Leave the pointer and Big Book in the Library Area for children to use on their own.


Using the Big Book

Extending the Big Book Experience

• If possible, place small versions of the book in the listening area with an audio tape. Children can follow along as the tape is played.

• Add props to the reading area and/or dramatic play area for children’s use in retelling the story.

Using the Big Book


• Write the words to the Big Book on large paper and invite children to add their own illustrations.


Using the Big Book


• Invite children to help you write a class version of the Big Book. For example, after reading the Big Book version of Franklin in the Dark, children might tell what they are afraid of. Write their sentences on large paper and invite children to illustrate their page. The pages can be bound together to make a class Big Book.


References:

Aguirre, Roderick Motril. (2014). Notes on Instructional Materials Evaluation and Preparation for Differentiated Instruction. Language and Literature Department. College of Liberal Arts and Communication. De La Salle University – DasamarinasCity of Dasamarinas, Cavite, Philippines.

Hoppert, Rita (2010). Big Books. Cincinnati Public Schools Early Childhood Education. Cincinnati, United States of America

Project ELIPSS. (2012) Choosing and Using Big Books. Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood. 27 Horrabin Hall. Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL 61455

Thank You!Namaste!

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