At Preschool Readers, we know there are a variety of factors that affect a child’s learning process. As a way to remain up to date and informed on best practices, we have an Expert Interviews series. In this series, we interview experts who provide tips/tricks and suggestions for parents of preschoolers. We hope you enjoy our interview with Stephanie Henderson Snyder, Children’s Book Author.

Name & Job Title: I am a full-time stay-at-home mom to Lucy and Leo, and I am the author of the Littlebit Book Club board book series. Littlebit Book Club is on a mission to help parents instill a passion for literacy in their children from an early age. The first three books in the series – Strolling! A Lucy Littlebit Book, Dining! A Lucy Littlebit Book, and Cruising! A Lucy Littlebit Book – are available now. Our fun, relatable board books allow littlebits to make connections to their own experiences and develop language and reading skills. The experience gives parents and caregivers a story to which they, too, can relate as they bond with their littlebits over books! We do this with a main character of color, promoting diversity in literature to the youngest of readers – readers who will grow up to have warm, fuzzy memories of their childhood adventures with Lucy Littlebit!

How Can parents Successfully Introduce Their Young Child To Books: Start early. It’s never too early to introduce little ones to books. I was reading to Lucy as soon as she was out of the womb! Read a little bit each day in a comfortable and relaxed way, or hang out at the local library or bookstore for books and play! These habits will foster the mindset that reading is fun, leisurely, and enjoyable.

What Are Some Guidelines For What Types Of Books Are A Good Fit For Preschoolers: Books that are great for preschoolers teach them about the world around them in ways that are relatable. This way, they can make connections to elements of their real lives, so reading becomes something that is real and necessary. I also love books that rhyme – they help to build vocabulary.

What’s Your Number One Tip For Ensuring Bedtime Storytime Success: Pick bedtime stories that lend themselves to rest, relaxation, and sleep. For bedtime, I like to pick books that have a more of a plot or “I love you” books as opposed to ABC’s, 123’s, colors or other skill-based subjects. Littlebit Book Club books each end with Lucy going to sleep, so they make great bedtime stories!

How Does Being Read To From An Early Age Affect A Preschoolers Learning Process: As a former teacher, I’ve worked with students who did not have a foundation in reading before they started school. It made it really difficult for those students to ever catch up. Children who are read to early build positive memories around reading and have less of a chance of falling behind in reading as they get older. Reading in the early years teaches littlebits about the world around them and provides background information and context for issues they may study when they’re older.

What Specific Books Do You Recommend Parents Read To Their Preschooler: The books in the Littlebit Book Club series are colorful, rhythmic, and rhyming. They also feature activities that little ones are familiar with, like riding in the stroller and dining in the high chair. Even if preschoolers feel like they are too old for those activities, the stories are great for learning to read and reading to younger siblings.

Where Can Parents Purchase A Lucy Littlebit Book: Right now, you can buy our books on our website – www.littlebitbookclub.com. If you like to support local brick and mortar stores, our books are also available at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair for families in Northern New Jersey, at BookTowne in Manasquan and Cuties Children’s Boutique in Shrewsbury for families in Central New Jersey, and at Ali’s Wagon in Philadelphia for our friends in the western part of the state.

And Just For Fun… What Is One Word You Would Use To Describe Yourself As A Preschooler: Inquisitive!!

How Can Parents Connect With You: We love seeing pictures and hearing stories about littlebits enjoying our books!  We’d love to hear from you!

Email: hello@littlebitbookclub.com
Website: littlebitbookclub.com
Instagram: @littlebitbookclub
Facebook: facebook.com/littlebitbookclub