10 Reasons to Create an Experience Book with Your Child

10 reasons to Create an Experience Book with Your Child: 

1. Build storytelling skills: For your child to tell a story there is a four-step structure for the story. There is a beginning, “Once upon a time in the backyard. . .” Then a problem, “She fell down and skinned her knee.” A resolution, “Daddy kissed it and put a bandaid on.” And an ending “We lived happily ever after and shared chocolate milk . . .” This helps build a mental map of how to tell a story. 
2. Develop vocabulary: Swap out words that have a similar meaning to expand your child’s vocabulary. “Daddy hugged you” can become “Daddy snuggled, squeezed, loved you.” 
3. Talk about their experiences: As you are creating your experience book together, have your child draw a picture of what they remembered. This will tell you what was important about the experience to them, which may be different than what stood out to you! 
4. Build memory for events: Sharing experiences together with your child will also build a strong emotional bond that the child remembers such as “Daddy kissed your knee when you were hurt”. 
5. Understand sequence of events: Many of your shared events and experiences may have multiple steps.  An experience book is a great way to work on auditory memory and sequencing. “So first we added the flour, then the sugar . . . what was next?”
6. Use printed words and pictures to tell a story: Experience books provide children with regular moments to express themselves on paper, without worrying about the drawing, spelling or their handwriting. This also helps children understand that writing has a real purpose. Remember even 1-2 year olds love to “write” or scribble on paper!
7. Develop important literacy skills: When you create and share experience books your child begins to develop a love for books, print awareness, and storytelling. Big bonus — their vocabulary grows!
8. Conversation starter: Start your conversations with open-ended thinking and feeling comments and questions that will help your child develop the skill of understanding the meaning behind actions and events. “I wonder how you felt when Daddy kissed your knee?” or “Help me to remember, what did Daddy put on your knee?”
9. Experience books are EASY and FUN to make and share with your child.  
10. Experience books make memories that will last a lifetime!