Top 10 Books For Kindergartens To Start Their Reading Journey.

Early childhood is a time to nurture and to watch your child comprehend and relate to the World. Books are a great tool to accentuate reading and the greatest gift you can give your child is the love of reading.

Exposure to books introduces your child to a wide array of emotions, vocabulary, increases creativity & assists in the overall development of the child.

Sadhu Vaswani Mission's Little Lamps ensures that books are an integral part of learning at the preschool & suggests the top 10 books for kindergartens to start their reading journey.   

1. Dr Seuss’s ABC - Dr Seuss

Dr Seuss makes learning alphabets so much fun! Ranging from Aunt Annie's Alligator to a Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz this book is bound to make the littlest toddler sing the ABC'S.

2. Love You Forever - Robert Munsch

This book tells us the evolving story of a mother who sings a loving lullaby for her small baby who later grows into a naughty teen and finally a responsible adult.The lullaby depicts the extent of her love for him and the book ends with twist that goes to show that love is a never ending cycle.

3. The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle

This award winning picture book, is a story about a caterpillar who has a constant craving for food. He manages to eat everything from chocolate cake to cherry pie before he spins himself into a cocoon.

4. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See ? - Bill Martin Jr.

Brown bear,Brown bear,what do you see?-this is an illustrated book that highlights the conversation between a narrator & various animals such as a blue horse, a purple cat and a black sheep.

5. The Rainbow Fish - Marcus Pfister

The Rainbow Fish is a story about a beautiful rainbow colored fish who finds lots of friends & happiness once he learns to share. It shows us about the importance & happiness that one can get by sharing.

6. Guess How Much I Love You - Sam Mcbratney

This is story of two Nutbrown hares (Big Nutbrown Hare and Little Nutbrown Hare) where the little brown Hare usually asks his daddy- Guess how much I love you & the answer ranges from as far as he can jump all the way to the moon.

7. Go Away Big Green Monster - Ed Emberly

Go away big Green Monster is a die cut book where toddlers can turn pages and watch the green monster grow as well as watch him diminish and disappear. It is a great way to help them overcome the fear of monsters and other common night-time fears.

8. Hooray For Fish - Lucy Cousins

This book explores the fun underwater world with 4 friends and a riot of color. This bold and brightly colored book is an all time favorite with little ones always joining in for the chorus-Hooray for Fish!

9. Where The Wild Things Are - Maurice Sendak

This short story revolves around Max, who gets into great trouble for dressing up as a wolf & ruining the house. The adventure begins when out of nowhere an ocean appears in his room and he is taken to an Island which is inhibited by the 'Wild Things' .

10. Goodnight Moon - Margaret Wise Brown

Goodnight moon is great bedtime storybook for tiny tots in an adorable poem format, where a bunny wishes good night to various objects in his room including a red balloon and a doll house.

Rujuta Diwekar - The Family Wellness Workshop

Rujuta Diwekar :  

  Rujuta Diwekar, a Mumbai based celebrity nutritionist, was at  Sadhu Vaswani Mission's Little Lamps preschool to conduct a family wellness workshop. She is also the author of the renowned book “Don’t lose your mind, lose your weight” & the winner of the prestigious Nutrition award from the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology (AIG).

  Rujuta prescribes & clearly proclaims that the secret of good health and good life is our rich nutritional heritage. Taking us through the regional produce and body types, she talks about five staple foods which she calls the “Panch Amrut” as the prescribed recipe for a healthier lifestyle.

The Panch Amrut that Ms. Diwekar advocates are :

1. Banana : A Banana is a powerhouse of nutrition. It has natural pro biotic bacteria that aids digestion and alleviates constipation. Bananas help  achieve your ideal weight and also takes good care of your bone health. It is rich in calcium and tryptophan which is converted to serotonin. Children can have rolled chapati or rotis with banana, ghee and a little bit jaggery, added with elaichi to enhance their taste buds.

2. Ghee (Clarified butter) : Homemade ghee is an essential ingredient in every Indian kitchen and is an important tonic to reduce post pregnancy weight. Ghee has essential amino acids that help mobilise the fat and allow the fat cells to shrink. It is proved to be remedial for people with spine health issues & for people suffering from joint pain. Ghee also improves your memory and vision power. Two spoons of  ghee everyday can help you fight seasonal diseases because of its antiviral properties.

3. Rice : Carbs are considered the latest pseudo villains of the booming weight loss industry, but rice a good carb, is a staple in Asia. Rice contains essential amino acids which accelerates fat burning, Rujuta recommends a regular consumption of traditionally hand pounded or single polished rice which is whitish, not brown. She explains that eating food according to your geographical location is more suitable for your body type because of the climatic conditions. Replacing rice with wheat or brown rice is not a sustainable solution.

4. Ragi : Nachini in Marathi and Finger Millet in English was considered the poor man’s staple. Ragi is a rich source of Calcium, having high fibre content and low glycaemic index, it metabolises slowly and releases lower blood sugar, making one feel full for longer periods of time. Ragi rotis with peanut chutney is a complete meal for your children having essential nutrients and vitamins.

5. Sugarcane : Sugarcane is so rooted to our Indian culture that the first harvest of the year is celebrated with Sugarcane. It completely detoxes & cleanses your system. Chewing the canes & fibers not only whitens and brightens your teeth but also strengthens your gums. While the juice is a perfect remedy for heat exhaustion, acidity and bloating, it is an excellent tonic for the liver and kidney to expel all toxins.

  At ‪‎Sadhu Vaswani Mission’s Little Lamps ‬we not only make everyday special for the children, but address every mother's concerns for her child. During the first 6 years, the brain is twice as active as that of an adult, 60% nutrition is used by the brain during the first year of life. This decreases to 30% by the age of 3 and as children are most receptive to information at a young age, early learning exposure plays a significant role in fostering good eating habits. The right approach to learning is critical to ensure that the child develops a love for new concepts. The pre-primary years are the important foundation building years in a child's life. At Little Lamps we believe in our rich cultural heritage to imbibe qualities in a child to ensure that the child develops a good character without feeling stressed.

  Application forms for the academic year starting in January 2016 are available at www.svmlittlelamps.com .