Your Child Will Learn
To look at and interact with books.
Here’s What to Do
- Find a board book with different textures your child can touch. (Or, tell a story out loud and have your child touch the textures of different household objects that match the story. For example, tell the Itsy Bitsy Spider story and rub a cotton ball on your child’s arm for “spider” and sprinkle water on their face for “rain”).
- Read the book or tell the story, and help your child feel the textures.
- Describe the texture and the object/animal/person the textures belong to.
- Repeat the same book or story a few times and continue to describe the textures.
Put PEER Into Action
PAUSE
- Get on eye-level with your child, smile, and use a gentle voice to share that it’s time for a story.
ENGAGE
- Describe the the texture like: “This bunny has soft fur.”
- “Can you feel the bumpy truck wheels?”
ENCOURAGE
- Encourage your child to touch the texture and explore it on their own. (For younger babies, place their fingers on the texture first). They may want to explore the texture with their mouth- let them if possible!
- When your child responds with babbling sounds, say “That’s right, this sheep is bumpy and soft!”
REFLECT
- Did your child respond and react by grasping the materials or objects? What other stories can you tell with different materials and objects?
Not Quite Ready
Younger babies might not understand how to feel the textures yet, but keep practicing. Soon, they’ll look forward to books and stories with textures.
Ready for More
Encourage your child to turn the book’s pages in addition to feeling the textures.
As Your Child Masters This Skill
They will learn how to look at and interact with books.
Time to Complete
5-10 minutes
Materials Needed
Board books with textures on the pages, or objects with different textures to accompany a verbal story.