The Science of Story Time

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09/11/2015

Sep. 11, 2015

The Science of Story Time

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The ritual of bedtime reading isn’t just about getting junior to (finally) go to sleep. Studies show reading with kids has positive effects ranging from increased vocabulary to greater success reading independently. What is it about Goodnight, Moon and If You Give a Moose a Muffin that boosts children’s literacy? Psychologist Jessica Montag says it might have to do with the words that kids’ books contain. She walks Ira through her recent study in Psychological Science.

And if you’re looking for a great book to share with the child in your life, why not make it a great science book? Brain Pickings editor Maria Popova and kids’ book author Jacob Berkowitz join Ira to help compile a reading list for science-curious kids.

Share your own favorite kids’ science books in the comments below!

Maria's picks:

(1) You Are Stardust, by Elin Kelsey and Soyeon Kim (2012)

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(2) I, Leonardo, by Ralph Steadman (1983)

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(3) Me…Jane, by Patrick McDonnell (2011)

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(4) Evolution: A Coloring Book, by Annu Kilpeläinen (2014)

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(5) The Amazing Discoveries of Ibn Sina, by Fatima Sharafeddine and Intelaq Mohammed Ali (2015)

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(6) Summer Birds: The Butterflies of Maria Merian, by Margarita Engle and Julie Pashkis (2010)

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(7) Big Questions from Little People & Simple Answers from Great Minds, Ed. Gemma Elwin Harris (2012)

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Jacob’s picks:

(1) Buried Sunlight: How Fossil Fuels Have Changed the Earth, by Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm (2014)

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(2) Next Time You See the Moon, by Emily Morgan (2014)

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(3) Body Bones, by Shelley Rotner and David A. White (2014)

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(4) Get the Scoop on Animal Puke, by Dawn Cusick (2014)

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(5) Red Madness: How a Medical Mystery Changed What We Eat, by Gail Jarrow (2014)

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(6) Chernobyl’s Wild Kingdom: Life in the Death Zone, by Rachel Johnson (2014)

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Recommended by our callers:

Big Bang!: The Tongue-Tickling Tale of a Speck That Became Spectacular, by Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano and Michael Carroll

Chameleon, Chameleon, by Joy Cowley and Nic Bishop

Girls Who Looked Under Rocks, by Jeannine Atkins and Paula Conner

Feathers for Lunch, by Lois Ehlert

Produced by Annie Minoff, SciArts Producer

Guests

Jessica Montag
Assistant Research Psychologist
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, California
Maria Popova
Editor and founder, brainpickings.org
Brooklyn, New York
Jacob Berkowitz
Science Writer
Author, "Jurassic Poop: What Dinosaurs (And Others) Left Behind” (Kids Can Press, 2006) and "The Stardust Revolution: The New Story of Our Origin in the Stars” (Prometheus Books, 2012)
Ottawa, Canada