Kindergarten teachers at Longfellow will be reading and re-read special storybooks that we call emergent storybooks or "STAR Books". This teaching is based on the work of Elizabeth Sulzby, a renowned researcher. To support emergent readers, teachers read aloud a few stories again and again. The children get to know the stories really well, and soon will begin to talk about the pictures and even tell the story using the pictures. Some children will even point to the words and read. All of this fosters a love of reading along with growing an understanding of how reading works and comprehension skills. 

STAR Books have the following things in common that support early literacy learning:
1. Have characters, a problem, and a solution
2. Have pictures that closely match what the text says on each page
3. Are highly engaging - the kind of books children love to hear again and again
4. Are memorable - often there is a refrain or repeated phrase that helps kids remember how the story goes
5. Contain rich, beautiful, literary language (think fairytales or folktales as examples)

Some examples of emergent storybooks that you might know:
Caps for Sale
Three Billy Goats Gruff
The Gingerbread Man
The Carrot Seed

Emergent storybook reading isn't just for classroom teachers or researchers. Parents and caregivers can support their wee readers at home by reading and reading and rereading favorite books! Soon, your child will know the story so well that she'll start to chime in with you. Then she'll start to tell the story to go with the pictures herself. Sometimes, she'll even start recognizing some of the words in the book!

A few tips for reading in a way that is especially supportive:
1. Make your voice as EXPRESSIVE as possible!
2. Point to the PICTURES as you read.
3. Use GESTURES and act things out with your hands and your body as you read.
4. Have fun and enjoy reading together!

Listen here to some of our readers!
Reader 1
Reader 2

Happy Reading!