Hameray Classroom Literacy Blog

Why Are Big Books So Special?

Both teachers and students love Hameray’s   Big Books collection , which feature select titles from the   Joy Cowley Collection ,   My World   Series, and   Fables Real World   Series.   We’re excited to be releasing 30 more Big Books in September   from the   Joy Cowley Early Birds Colleción Joy Cowley  and   Kaleidoscope Collection —keep an eye out for our new catalog coming soon! 

What makes these books so special?   First and foremost, the large book size immediately commands the attention of any reader. In order for students to understand the importance and the joy of reading, you need to make sure that books are   literally   a big part of their lives! 

The enlarged text and illustrations also ensure that every student can visually access the book. You could try using a document camera to project the book during a read aloud, but not all schools offer this technology, and there’s always the risk of technological failures wrecking havoc on your lesson plan. When you use a standard-sized book for a read aloud, though, some students in the back of the reading circle grumble or shove other students in order to see. Other students will simply stop paying attention because it is too difficult to follow along from a distance.   With a   Big Book , you can prevent class conflict and keep all your students engaged!

Apart from the story itself, every young child’s favorite part of the reading experience is flipping the pages. Even reluctant readers will be itching to get a turn at flipping the large and satisfying pages of the   Big Book , resulting in a more positive attitude towards reading time.

 

A   Big Book   also works wonders outside of read aloud time. During sustained silent reading, many students like to look through books already read aloud by the teacher. Rereading is also an essential tool for developing reading fluency (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.4). Because of the popularity of the book, however, arguments may break out over who can read the book first.

Hameray offers   combo sets  with a Big Book and matching readers, but your limited classroom library size might prevent you from purchasing matching readers for   every  book you read aloud. Standard picture books are only large enough for 1-2 children to read at a time, so other students might lose enthusiasm if they have to wait their turn or read another book that doesn’t pique their interest.   The   Big Book   solves this problem entirely—its size is large enough that four students can easily share the book at the same time!

  By now, it should be self-evident that Big Books are a must-buy for every classroom.   Check out all our available Big Book products   here at our website  or downlaod the brochure below!

~~~

Click the image below to download a brochure containing Hameray's  narrative and informational Big Books . Keep an eye out for the upcoming Fall 2016 catalog, which will feature 30 new Big Book titles!