Extend the Learning!

B O O K   B U D D I E S

Do you know that there is educational value in a stuffed animal, especially when reading with young children?

It's true! Stuffed animals are an intrinsic link to the imagination for children.  Children can imagine entire universes where their stuffed animals can talk, move, dance, & engage in adventures with them.  This is exciting for children. 

Pretend play is exciting for children.  Research shows that children are more enthusiastic about participating in activities, taking risks, and practicing challenging tasks when they have a stuffed animal with them.  Stuffed animals help children to feel safe & relaxed to try new things that may make them otherwise anxious. 

Stuffed animals can serve as "reading buddies" or "book buddies." Children can practice reading fluency with the stuffed animal and practice book-related vocabulary.  They can use language & vocabulary from a story's pictures & words to tell the stuffed animal what is happening or what happened. 

Stuffed animals do not judge, they just listen!  This means that children feel safer to make mistakes with them. After your child develops a routine or comfort with reading with their stuffed animal "buddy," take time to ask your child to read to you, too! 

Encourage & show them how to use different voices for different characters.  Encourage them to retell specific events & details from the story.  Encourage them to talk about how the story makes them feel or how it relates to them.  Here are some fun-tastic Book & Buddy Sets that can help your family enjoy the excitement of reading together!