| A recent study by researchers from the | | | | Bricknell. On the PriddyBooks website, books are |
| University of Michigan and Northwestern | | | | categorized as being for Baby and Toddler or |
| University (Gelman, Waxman and Kleinberg 2008) | | | | Preschool. Popular and well-reviewed titles include |
| has found that the very common parent-child | | | | My Big Animal Book (My Big Board Books) and |
| activity of picture-book reading may be the most | | | | First 100 Words, Happy Baby Colors and Happy |
| effective way to encourage early knowledge and | | | | Baby Words. Photographic picture book titles from |
| cognitive development. This means that, among all | | | | other publishers include Baby Colors and Baby 123 |
| the educational toys out there being marketed to | | | | from DK Publishing, From Head to Toe Soft Book |
| very young children, picture books are probably | | | | by Small World Toys and Baby Einstein Touch and |
| the ultimate educational learning toy. Both looking | | | | Feel Farm Animals, Baby Faces by Playskool, and |
| and pointing at pictures are part of early literacy | | | | Big and Little by Margaret Miller. |
| skills for children less than 3-years old. | | | | Aside from picture books, there are other ways |
| If that's the case, then what are the best picture | | | | to incorporate photographs into playtime with |
| books out there? Authors of a 2006 study on the | | | | your child. Among the Department of Education's |
| way 15 month old toddlers interact with | | | | archived list of activities for reading and writing |
| photographs and picture books suggests that | | | | fun during the early years is a fun activity called |
| books with realistic, color photographs may | | | | Alphabet picture book. Basically, you use |
| engage very young children to explore pictures | | | | magazines around the house, large index cards, |
| and books more frequently than books with other | | | | glue, scissors and a marker to make your own A |
| types of artwork. The researchers, from Ball | | | | to Z flash cards. Together, you and your child |
| State University, argue that this is because | | | | look for pictures that start with a letter of the |
| exposure to books may highlight for toddlers the | | | | alphabet. Cut out the picture and glue it to an |
| function and symbolic nature of pictures. For | | | | index card. Write the word in large letters beneath |
| toddlers to recognize the distinction between a | | | | the photo. You can also write the letter of the |
| picture as a thing in and of itself and as a | | | | alphabet on the back of the card. |
| representation of a category of things is part of | | | | Sources: |
| language development and overall cognitive | | | | Gelman, Susan A., Sandra R. Waxman and Felicia |
| functioning. | | | | Kleinberg. 2008.The role of representational status |
| Examples of great books for babies and toddlers | | | | and item complexity in parent-child conversations |
| that are filled with photographs of objects include | | | | about pictures and objects. Cognitive |
| Board Books, Language Books and Novelty Books | | | | Development Volume 23, Issue 2, April-June, |
| by Roger Priddy, published by Priddy & | | | | pages 313-323. |