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The Teach Me About Books For 1-3 Year Old’s
by Joy Berry
on October 14, 2023
My initial training pertained to children 6 to 12 years old. Any age below or above that age range was beyond my area of expertise. But then I had an opportunity to start a preschool—which prompted me to get an administrative credential and a master’s degree in human development. That was when I was first exposed to the notion that “babies have brains” and are capable of learning self-improvement information that applied to their everyday lives.
It began with a self-help book that I created for toddlers about bathtime. I read the book to several two and three year-olds while their parents looked on. The next day, the parents reported that their children applied some portion of the book to bathtime the night before. For example, two children “tested the water” before getting into it, one child sat down in the tub for the first time, etc.
At that point, I was inspired to apply what I had learned from my years of creating self-help books for older kids to creating self-help books for toddlers. The end result was the 28 Teach Me About self-help books for 1 – 3-year-olds.
Basic Premise For The Teach Me About Books
Very young children often develop irresponsible behavior when they are not encouraged to assume responsibility for their actions and reactions. Parents often foster irresponsible behavior by perceiving children as helpless and incapable of assuming any responsibility for their lives.
The purpose of the Teach Me About books is to help parents begin the process of shifting the responsibility for a child’s behavior from the parent to the child. These products accomplish this by conveying to parents and children three important concepts.
1. A child’s behavior affects the child and the people around him or her.
2. The negative or positive effects of a child’s behavior influences the quality of his or her life.
3. Normal children can control their behavior and, therefore, can choose whether to engage in positive or negative behavior.
Basic Layout And Contents Of The Teach Me About Books
Each Teach Me About book features the following:
1. 32 pages
2. Each left page of a two-page spread contains approximately one to three simple sentences of text.
3. Each right page of a two-page spread contains a simple, full-page, color, cartoon illustration.
4. Each book contains a section dedicated to practical information for parents related to the subject of the book.
Developmental Organization Of Teach Me About Subjects
Children 1 – 3 years of age are mainly concerned about their survival. Therefore, their physical needs, then their emotional needs are their primary concern. Once children 1-3 years of age realize that other people contribute to the fulfillment of their physical and emotional needs, they expand their interest to include their social needs. Only after their physical, emotional, and social needs are met does their focus expand to include their intellectual needs.
Given this developmental progression, it is recommended that the Teach Me About subjects be presented in the following order:
• Mealtime
• Bathtime
• Getting Dressed
• Bedtime
• Potty Training
• Illness
• Danger
• Travel
• Boredom
• Feelings
• Crying
• Security Objects
• Separation
• Mommies/Daddies
• Brothers/Sisters
• Grandparents
• Relatives
• Different Families
• Pets
• Friends
• The Babysitter
• The Doctor
• The Dentist
• My Body
• Looking
• Listening
• Tasting
• Smelling
• Touching
• Pretending
• Day Care
• School
The Teach Me About Mealtime book encourages children to eat good food and provides helpful guidelines for eating properly.
The Teach Me About Bathtime book explains why bathing is necessary and tells children how they can make bathtime safe and fun.
The Teach Me About Getting Dressed book helps children understand the purpose of clothing and teaches them how to dress themselves.
The Teach Me About Bedtime book explains the purpose of sleep and teaches children how to prepare for bedtime and get to sleep.
The Teach Me About Potty Training book addresses fears about using the toilet and teaches children how to use the toilet properly.
The Teach Me About Illness book teaches children how to prevent illness and what to do to get well when they are sick.
The Teach Me About Danger book alerts children to possible dangers and teaches them how to keep themselves safe.
The Teach Me About Travel book helps children prepare for travel and explains how to remain safe and well while traveling.
The Teach Me About Boredom book provides ways children can handle their boredom and be busy in acceptable ways.
The Teach Me About Crying book explains that asking, rather than crying, works better for getting help and attention.
The Teach Me About Security Objects book affirms the value of security objects but encourages giving them up when the time is right.
The Teach Me About Separation book explains separation anxiety and provides ways to feel better during separations.
The Teach Me About Mommies and Daddies book encourages children to understand, appreciate, and obey their parents.
The Teach Me About Brothers and Sisters book helps children understand their siblings and interact with them in positive ways.
The Teach Me About Relatives book provides labels for various relatives and encourages positive relationships with relatives.
The Teach Me About Pets book teaches responsible pet care and encourages the respectful treatment of pets.
The Teach Me About Friends book explains the importance of friendships and teaches how to make and keep friends.
The Teach Me About the Babysitter book defines a babysitter’s role and explains how to have a good time with a babysitter.
The Teach Me About the Doctor book helps children overcome anxiety and become active participants during visits to the doctor.
The Teach Me About the Dentist book helps children overcome anxiety and become active participants during visits to the dentist.
The Teach Me About My Body book teaches children the names for the external body parts and encourages them to appreciate their bodies.
The Teach Me About Looking book helps children develop the visual awareness they need in order to function and learn effectively.
The Teach Me About Listening book helps children develop the audio awareness they need in order to function and learn effectively.
The Teach Me About Tasting book helps children develop the sense of taste they need in order to function and learn effectively.
The Teach Me About Smelling book helps children develop the sense of smell they need in order to function and learn effectively.
The Teach Me About Touching book helps children develop the sense of touch they need in order to function and learn effectively.
The Teach Me About Pretending book affirms the value of make-believe and explains when pretending is appropriate and when it is not.
The Teach Me About School book explains what to expect at school and assures children they will be okay while they are at school.
Guidelines For Using The Tma Books
In order to derive the maximum benefits from the TMA books it is recommended that adults use the books in the following ways:
Adult Resource: The adult reads the books for information, insights, and encouragement.
Adult-Child Activity: The adult uses the materials with the child and encourages the child to question or comment on the subject matter.
Independent Activity: The child is encouraged to use the materials independently of the adult for entertainment and to reinforce the subject matter.
Reference Material: The materials are placed in the child’s library along with other resource materials and used whenever specific situations need to be addressed.
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