Your Child Will Learn
Art and pictures on book covers give a preview of the story and gains the interest of readers
Here’s What to Do
- Have your child select a book to read and ask them to describe what they see on the cover
- Ask your child what they like about the art or pictures on the cover and to share what they think the story might be about based on what they see
- Read the book and refer back to the cover once you get to that part of the story
- Ask your child to draw their own cover for this book; discuss what they plan to draw and how this will give a preview of the story and gain the interest of readers
Put PEER Into Action
PAUSE
- Select a cozy and comfortable place to read the book, allowing your child to hold the book or turn the page
ENGAGE
- When looking at the book cover, point out and read the title, author’s name, and illustrator’s name
- Tell your child what an illustrator is and ask your child if they like the art or pictures that the illustrator created for the book cover
ENCOURAGE
- As you read through the book, check in with your child about their prediction of the story based on the book’s cover; say “remember your prediction, tell me when we get to that part in the book”
- If your child’s prediction about the book is incorrect, explain that it’s okay and that’s why it’s good to keep an open-mind about book covers because you can be surprised
REFLECT
- Discuss similarities and differences between the art and pictures on the book cover and the redesign drawing created by your child
Not Quite Ready
Look at multiple book covers and practice making predictions about stories based on the art and pictures before tasking your child with redesigning their own book cover
Ready for More
Ask your child to give think of a different title for the book
As Your Child Masters This Skill
They will be able to give a preview of what a book may be about based on its cover and say if they are interested in a book based on the cover’s art of pictures
Time to Complete
15-20 minutes
Materials Needed
Drawing and coloring materials (paper, pencil, crayons, markers)