Children love stickers. Kumon has created great sticker books for the 2’s or children performing at that level. I have the vehicle-themed book, but they have a zoo-themed book as well. I use their scissor books every week, maybe even every day with the 3’s and 4’s. I wanted to see what they came up with using stickers. They impressed me again!
Like all of their products, the paper quality is excellent, and the stickers are sturdy. No delicate stickers that little fingers can tear easily. It is so frustrating for a child when that happens. I am a thrifty person, so after adding the stickers, each page will become practice for cutting (cut off the instructions, please) and coloring (add a sun, some grass, a ladder, etc). Only when the paper is this sturdy can a toddler snip with ease and success. The slippery or thin pages of cheaper sticker books just crumple.
Kumon has done more than just make a fun book. They have designed a workbook for the youngest learners in preschool. They use simple graphics that are easy for little children to comprehend. Kumon gives you ideas for discussions with your child. This builds language and visual-perceptual skills as you discuss the colors and shapes with them.
The designers have even tried to grow your child’s self-esteem and social skills: they encourage you to praise your child’s attempts, even if they aren’t very accurately placing their stickers on the page.
Perhaps they read the same book about the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset that I did? Carol Dweck developed the concept of “Mindset”. It is more than just praising a child’s effort. It is educating children to think critically without the fear of being judged. Take a look at her work, Mindset, and see if this changes what you say to a child when they are learning and exploring. You can start growing your child’s growth mindset when you work on this book together. Your comments will be about their effort (or lack of it; not every child perseveres) and note their creativity and enjoyment. The message that you are sending is that you admire effort and engagement more than perfection.
These pages are designed in a developmental order. This means that the first few pages invite your child to place the corresponding stickers anywhere on the page. As they progress in control and comprehension, there are targeted spots for the stickers. Geometric shapes are used at the beginning, as above, and more irregular figures are shown as they progress. In the photo The Big Dig, you can see that the triangle sticker will only fit at one angle. At the very end of the book, there are no white targets; your child will place stickers on figures such as a bridge or a rollercoaster without a visual cue.
The way this book is bound can make it difficult for a young child to keep the book open while placing their sticker on the page. You could carefully tear out pages (harder) or simply cut out the page (easier).
Save the finished artwork and put it up on the fridge or the cork board. It will be that good!
