Usborne Books at Home

1. Step-by-step explanations of “How and Why”.
This fosters logical sequencing of events, the order in which they occur and why. Explanations of "how and why" enhance a child's understanding.

2. Cut-away illustrations so children can get the inside view.
The books show the inside view of those places children rarely have a chance to see, whether inside or underground, etc. They also make understanding the unknown easy and help children investigate what's inside.

3. Double page layouts, which open so that the book is easily propped up, enticing the child to delve into the pictures.
Children lay on the floor with the books imagining they are there. They "play" with the illustrations because they are so real and so large. They truly invite the child to take part in the wonderful adventure of learning. The strongest readers will take the longest amount of time looking at the pictures. Usborne books encourage them to look for details and tidbits.

4. Pages bursting with activity - a lot of material to explore on each topic.
This stimulates analytical thinking. Hands-on activities are included in most books to prove the concept to the child and facilitate the kinesthetic (hands-on) mode of learning. It is very important that all concepts being taught use the three modes of learning: visual (seeing), auditory (hearing) and kinesthetic (hands-on). Some children learn primarily by the hands-on approach and Usborne does not leave them untaught!

5. Straightforward text consistently positioned below each picture simplifying the reading exercise - the use of short sentences encourages the child to read.
Presenting the text in this method also facilitates retention and recall of the information. The child sees the concept visually in the picture and then in writing. It helps them to make the necessary bridges to other information they already have and to file it away in an appropriate file. The cognitive thinking system is like a file cabinet of information. It helps recall if the file is placed in an appropriate location, i.e. attached to other pertinent information. Making these bridges is actually one of the higher levels of cognitive (and critical) thinking called "synthesis." Most American text is watered down by using words with fewer syllables, which leads to boring and often ambiguous text. Usborne's approach makes books children-friendly by keeping their interest with meaty bits of information, but cut in pieces they can chew! It works well with all reading levels. The child can digest as much or as little as they desire on each page. They don't have to read a page of text to simply find out what's going on in a picture either = curiosity satisfaction!!

6. Many of our preschool books feature charming illustrations by Stephen Cartwright with a “find-the-duck” theme throughout.
Children love to find the duck on each page! They are comfortable when they see something familiar to them and feel secure with a new book when they recognize something in it.

Internet-Linked Books

Usborne books include a new generation of books linked through the Usborne Web site to exciting Usborne-recommended places on the Internet - the world's new treasure-chest of knowledge. They include free downloadable pictures and recipes. While each book works in conjunction with the Internet, it is also a completely self-sufficient book that can be used without accessing the Internet.
"The Internet-Linked books are the result of a research effort by Usborne that identified 1,000 educational and child-friendly Web sites. Each new title lists specific sites where children can go to learn more about the book's topic…" (Publisher's Weekly, 1/22/2001).
Excellent "see for yourself" sections offer simple, clear experiment and research that keep the book from being merely a reference or browser book. It is both hands-on and virtual, a perfect combination!