Because preschoolers become interested in letters of the alphabet and begin to relate those letters to their sounds, ABC books provide an important stepping stone on the path to learning to read. According to "Cultivating Readers," a magazine of the National Center for Family Literacy, parents should look for ABC books that match the child's interests. Whether the child loves machines, vehicles, foods or animals, search for ABC books created to reflect that theme.
Award-winning children's author Ellen Jackson suggests looking for books with rhythmic, imaginative language. Read a few lines aloud and listen for the words to flow smoothly. Choose books with easy-to-read sentences that are vividly written and interesting, and then encourage children to read or chant along with the rhythm of the story. Read nursery rhymes together, pausing at the end of a line to let the child fill in the missing rhyming word, as this encourages children to listen carefully to the different sounds at the beginnings of words.
Even the best story for preschoolers can fail to hold a child's attention if the book lacks clear, colorful pictures that flow along with the story. Since picture books are often a child's first introduction to art, Jackson suggests choosing several library books with a variety of artistic styles and seeing which one the child likes best. Pictures expand and augment text and open up discussion between parent and child. Talk about the illustrations and ask the child to point out objects you mention while reading.
In addition to commenting on the pictures in the story, reading time can become a completely interactive experience. Let your child turn the pages and run your finger under the words as you read the text aloud. Young children enjoy asking questions while being read to, so take the time to discuss the book. Before turning a page, ask the child to guess what will happen next, or to talk about why he thinks something just happened. Discuss the characters and how the story relates to the child's everyday life situations, such as sharing and getting along with friends. But most importantly, make reading time fun.