How Interactive Books Can Help Parents Teach Children Life Skills at Home
 

How Interactive Books Can Help Parents Teach Children Life Skills at Home

parent reading with his son

Teaching with interactive books

It is never too early for parents to begin teaching their children essential life skills at home. These life skills will help them learn autonomy and, eventually, live independently as adults. Interactive books are a fun and engaging educational tool that covers a wide range of functional life skills, including but not limited to:

  • Practicing basic hygiene such as washing hands, combing hair, or brushing teeth.
  • Helping with age-appropriate household chores.
  • Going on trips to the grocery store, visiting the library, or eating at a restaurant.
  • Learning how to communicate and socialize with others.

Interactive books are available for babies and children of all ages and involve using a child's sense of touch. Tactile learning, such as feeling different textures, is vital for early childhood development. Incorporating this sensory input by using interactive books will help your child to understand new concepts and draw connections to the world around them. Other benefits of reading interactive books to children at an early age include:

  • Development of early literacy skills. Although children will first be drawn to the colorful pictures and interactive aspects of the book, they will also begin to recognize words and build their vocabulary.
  • Social-emotional development. Interactive books can help children to understand their emotions and the emotions of others, which is essential for developing meaningful relationships and expressing empathy.
  • Improved comprehension skills. Children tend to absorb more information when engaging with interactive books since they become more involved in the storyline while also practicing their decision-making skills.
  • Fostering their natural curiosity. Interactive books help children to discover the wonders of the world around them while encouraging them to use their imagination and critical thinking skills.
Cultivating these skills will help children to be successful as they reach school age and begin interacting with teachers and other students. For parents of children with special needs, interactive books are particularly useful for teaching and reinforcing functional life skills.

Thanks to modern-day technology, interactive books have evolved beyond simple pull-tabs and flip-flaps. Reading readiness apps for children with special needs can help bring story time to life and offer a more immersive experience than traditional interactive books alone. All children will have their own preferences, of course, so it is beneficial to expose them to a variety of different interactive books and reading apps to figure out what works best and to encourage a lifelong love of reading.

lee vodfsky

Harbor School a private special education school in Monmouth County, New Jersey

Our mission at Harbor School is to help all of our special needs students with learning, social, language, behavioral, and other disabilities. Our highly skilled staff are committed daily to helping each student reach their full potential.

We would be more than happy to discuss your child's specific needs and challenges, so please call us at 732.544.9394, or request a tour at Harbor School in Eatontown, NJ. We are located just minutes off of the Garden State Parkway at exit 105 and conveniently located off of Route 35 and Route 36 in Monmouth County, NJ.

Lee Vodofsky
Principal-Harbor School, Eatontown, NJ