Back to School Books for Preschoolers
Relieve Young Children's Anxieties With Picture Books
Aug 23, 2009
The first day of preschool can be a source of anxiety for children. Parents can ease fears with a few simple tips and ensure that their children know what to expect. Many quality picture books provide the perfect segue into conversations about school and offer hints to surviving the first day.
Bring a Reminder from Home
In The Kissing Hand, by Audrey Penn [Tanglewood, 2006], Chester Raccoon is nervous about his first day of school. To reassure him, his mother gives Chester a “secret” to bring to school. She kisses the palm of his hand and tells him that whenever he misses her, he can put his hand to his cheek to receive a kiss. Parents may want to give their own children a kiss – or a small memento– to help them through the day.
Another book that encourages allowing a cherished item to accompany children to school is I Am NOT Going to School Today, by Robie H. Harris [Margaret K. McElderry, 2003]. A little boy decides to skip the first day of preschool because there are too many unknowns. He doesn’t know the other children’s names, where the bathroom is, etc. His mother suggests that he take his stuffed monkey to school. Once there, the little boy has his questions answered and enjoys the day.
Explore Everything and Laugh a Lot
Mouse stows away in a child’s backpack in Mouse’s First Day of School, by Lauren Thompson [Simon & Schuster, 2003]. Once in the classroom, Mouse has fun exploring all of the wonderful and new objects – crayons, books, plants, dress-up clothes, and more. Let your child wonder what will be in her classroom and pick a few to search for on the first day.
Rhyming text describes Sammy’s Monday morning routine in Giggle-Wiggle Wake-Up, by Nancy White Carlstrom [Knopf, 2003]. The pages are full of joyful noises as Sammy excitedly gets ready for school, and the fun continues once he arrives with the other children. Parents may want to use the book as a springboard for creating a special First-Day-of-School morning plan with their own children.
Another rhyming text, See You Later, Alligator!, by Laura McGee Kvasnosky [Harcourt, 1995] focuses on the separations between parents and children at the beginning of the school day. A string of reptilian parents drop off their children at school, while saying good-bye with familiar (“See you later, alligator”) and new (“In a blizzard, little lizard”) rhymed phrases. Parents and children reading the book may find a silly phrase to adopt for their own goodbyes.
Make New Friends
In Wemberly Worried, by Kevin Henkes [Scholastic, 2001], Wemberly worries about everything, especially the impending first day of school. However, when that day arrives, her worries are lightened, and she even finds a friend with whom she has a lot in common. Kevin Henkes’ website has games and coloring pages connected to the book, including a sheet encouraging children to name and talk about their worries.
Little School, by Beth Norling [Kane/Miller, 2003] follows twenty children from different cultures during the course of their school days. They use different methods of transportation to get to school, play different games, and encounter different problems (and solutions), but all enjoy the day. The book contains very little text, leaving lots of room for parents and children to discuss the illustrations and create their own stories.
The books listed here offer a sample of the many quality picture books meant to help children understand and look forward to the first day of school. For a closer look and these and some other good books, check out this list on Amazon's Listmania.
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