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teaching someone to handle a book

 

 
by Delle P. Matthews
 

Introduction
  In cultures that have had little or no exposure to books, handling a book properly is a skill that must be learned.
Overview
  Before learning to read, a person needs to understand
 
  • how to hold a book comfortably and the right way up
  • how to move through a book correctly, and
  • how to scan and locate the place on a page.
Things to do
  Here are the things to do when you teach someone to handle a book:
 
  • Help them to sit and hold the book so that
    • they are seated comfortably, and
    • they can see the print comfortably.
  • Help them learn to find the cover of the book and hold the book facing the right direction.
  • Help them learn to recognize the top, bottom, front, and back of the book.
  • Show them how to turn one page at a time.
  • Show them
    • where to start reading
    • which page to read first, left or right, and
    • how to locate a particular point on a page, such as the keyword in a primer, or the lesson or page number.