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Sesame Street: Ready for School!: A Parent's Guide to Playful Learning for Children Ages 2 to 5
Sesame Street, the most trusted name in preschool education, offers a complete, user-friendly guide to help parents prepare their children, ages 2-5, for academic, physical, and social success .
For the past 50 years, Sesame Street has stood at the forefront of child development, stimulating and nurturing the minds of preschoolers not only through the iconic TV show, but also through books, games, mobile apps, and community engagement initiatives. With Ready for School!, Senior VP of Curriculum and Content at Sesame Workshop Dr. Rosemarie Truglio shares all the research-based, curriculum-directed school readiness skills that have made Sesame Street the preeminent children's TV program, and that every parent needs in order to get their preschooler ready for lifelong learning.
Each of the book's eight chapters focuses on a key language, literacy, math, science, logic & reasoning, social & emotional development, healthy habits, and the arts. An essential dynamic of Ready for School! is its emphasis on the importance of play in a child's learning process. To respond to that need, dozens of "Play & Learn" activities are included to aid parents in educating their at the kitchen table, on the bus, in the park, or in the preschool classroom while playing together. In addition, the book recommends scores of hints, tips, ideas for useful products, and deep-dives on more complex topics for parents, all designed to make preparing young kids for school easy and joyful.
For the past 50 years, Sesame Street has stood at the forefront of child development, stimulating and nurturing the minds of preschoolers not only through the iconic TV show, but also through books, games, mobile apps, and community engagement initiatives. With Ready for School!, Senior VP of Curriculum and Content at Sesame Workshop Dr. Rosemarie Truglio shares all the research-based, curriculum-directed school readiness skills that have made Sesame Street the preeminent children's TV program, and that every parent needs in order to get their preschooler ready for lifelong learning.
Each of the book's eight chapters focuses on a key language, literacy, math, science, logic & reasoning, social & emotional development, healthy habits, and the arts. An essential dynamic of Ready for School! is its emphasis on the importance of play in a child's learning process. To respond to that need, dozens of "Play & Learn" activities are included to aid parents in educating their at the kitchen table, on the bus, in the park, or in the preschool classroom while playing together. In addition, the book recommends scores of hints, tips, ideas for useful products, and deep-dives on more complex topics for parents, all designed to make preparing young kids for school easy and joyful.
- GenresParentingNonfiction
288 pages, Paperback
Published September 10, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 30, 2024
I really enjoyed this book… on every page there were tips, book/ song recommendations, and activities to do with little ones (by age) to practice letters, numbers, stem, music & all the fun things.
I took a lot of Notes for the recommendations of different children books, learning aps, activities, and nursery rhymes to use with my children to help practice different learning areas.
I have years of training & “real-world” parenting experience working with little ones in a variety of settings. I think this book would benefit anybody working with kids or who is a parent. This book highlights the reasons how/why Sesame Street creates their curriculum the way they do to address the many needs for growing children. It is a “comprehensive book which helps parents and caregivers apply the timeless lessons of Sesame Street at home.”
I took a lot of Notes for the recommendations of different children books, learning aps, activities, and nursery rhymes to use with my children to help practice different learning areas.
I have years of training & “real-world” parenting experience working with little ones in a variety of settings. I think this book would benefit anybody working with kids or who is a parent. This book highlights the reasons how/why Sesame Street creates their curriculum the way they do to address the many needs for growing children. It is a “comprehensive book which helps parents and caregivers apply the timeless lessons of Sesame Street at home.”
June 5, 2025
Much Potential, More Opportunity - Seeing mention of this author in reference to early childhood development, I picked it up this title to get another view of Sesame Workshop having read other related books (e.g., see my review of Michael Davis’s “Street Gang”). The book is a wonderful reference for parents of little kids 2-5 for use of Sesame Street TV program and other resources for use in their children’s growth. However, the book might have even more benefit and potential with the availability of an e-book or perhaps better still an application version that could be make it even more useful for tech savvy care givers and nurturers in guiding their toddlers and preschoolers.
More specifically the book’s contents consist of an introduction and 8 chapters. Namely, there is (1) Words, Words, & More Words! – Listening and Speaking, (2) Sights, Sounds & Scribbles – Early Reading & Writing, (3) How Many Blocks All Together – Early Math, (4) Is Your Child a "Stemist"? – Early Science, (5) Thinking it Through! – Problem Solving & Other Skills for Learning, (6) Celebrate You, Celebrate Me – Feelings & Friendship, (7) Happy Healthy Monsters! – Healthy Bodies, Smart Choices and (8) "I Am An Artist" – Creating & Appreciating the Arts. Fun and colorfully illustrated with Sesame Street characters, the narrative briefly relates the importance of play and learning providing tips, possible books, and other suggested aids for fostering wholesome activity along the way.
Parts of the book that stood out for me included the introduction and comments on Sesame Workshop, digital device use, and the many tables of skills. Early on, author (pgs. 5-7), Trulio briefly relates the book’s intent in support of parents and their children and the history and research behind Sesame Street as its basis. Later in the segment “Deep Dive – Reading Time & Digital Media” (pgs. 36-37), the coauthors treat the importance of being selective and helping children with their use of “screens” along with printed material. As I read, Gopnik’s “The Gardener and the Carpenter” came to mind (see my review).
The many tables included in the book relate the skills required for children to acquire at 2, 3, 4, and 5 years of age. They cover Understanding Language, and Using Words (pg.29), Knowledge of Print & Its Uses (pg. 61), Phonological Awareness (pg. 62), Alphabet Knowledge, and Early Writing (pg. 63), Numbers & Counting, and Adding & Subtracting (pgs. 100 & 101), Measuring & Comparing, Patterns, and Shapes (pgs. 102 & 103), Science Skills & Processes (pg. 143), Understanding the Natural World and Understanding the Physical World (pgs. 144 & 145), Reasoning & Problem Solving (pg. 171), Executive Function Skills (pgs. 172-73), Initiative & Curiosity (pgs. 174-75), Understanding, Expressing & Managing Emotions (pg. 207), Building Relationships (pgs. 208-09), and Body Parts & How to Care for Them (pg. 244), Healthy Eating, Moving Our Bodies, Resting Our Bodies (pg. 244-45).
Yet, for all its strengths, the book also reveals missed opportunities—especially regarding digital accessibility. With such rich, structured content, the absence of an e-book or app version feels like a significant oversight. An interactive digital tool could allow parents to filter content by age or developmental domain, making it easier to use in daily routines. This would be especially helpful for tech-savvy parents and caregivers who already use devices as part of their parenting toolkit. For contrast, Katie Davis’s “Technology's Child” (see my review) addresses digital media’s role in childhood development in depth but lacks the kind of detailed developmental tables that Truglio offers. Combining Davis’s insights with Truglio’s age-specific framework could yield a powerful future collaboration or co-developed resource.
Furthermore, considering the increasing role of digital ecosystems in family life, Truglio and Sesame Workshop might consider adopting what Iansiti and Lakhani term a “keystone strategy” (see my review of their “Competing in the Age of AI”). A companion app or platform might serve as a connective hub in the child development network, continuously updated with vetted media, activities, and evolving developmental milestones. This would be particularly helpful to modern families especially those facing economic or logistical challenges—like those depicted in Thorpe’s “Margo’s Got Money Problems” (see my review).
Even with my criticism, “Sesame Street Ready for School!” remains a warm, practical, and research-driven resource that affirms Sesame Workshop’s legacy of combining education and entertainment. While it could be further strengthened by greater integration with today’s digital tools and platforms, its current form still offers considerable value. It is an essential guide for parents of young children—and a thoughtful prompt for educators and developers to continue bridging the gap between media and meaningful learning.
More specifically the book’s contents consist of an introduction and 8 chapters. Namely, there is (1) Words, Words, & More Words! – Listening and Speaking, (2) Sights, Sounds & Scribbles – Early Reading & Writing, (3) How Many Blocks All Together – Early Math, (4) Is Your Child a "Stemist"? – Early Science, (5) Thinking it Through! – Problem Solving & Other Skills for Learning, (6) Celebrate You, Celebrate Me – Feelings & Friendship, (7) Happy Healthy Monsters! – Healthy Bodies, Smart Choices and (8) "I Am An Artist" – Creating & Appreciating the Arts. Fun and colorfully illustrated with Sesame Street characters, the narrative briefly relates the importance of play and learning providing tips, possible books, and other suggested aids for fostering wholesome activity along the way.
Parts of the book that stood out for me included the introduction and comments on Sesame Workshop, digital device use, and the many tables of skills. Early on, author (pgs. 5-7), Trulio briefly relates the book’s intent in support of parents and their children and the history and research behind Sesame Street as its basis. Later in the segment “Deep Dive – Reading Time & Digital Media” (pgs. 36-37), the coauthors treat the importance of being selective and helping children with their use of “screens” along with printed material. As I read, Gopnik’s “The Gardener and the Carpenter” came to mind (see my review).
The many tables included in the book relate the skills required for children to acquire at 2, 3, 4, and 5 years of age. They cover Understanding Language, and Using Words (pg.29), Knowledge of Print & Its Uses (pg. 61), Phonological Awareness (pg. 62), Alphabet Knowledge, and Early Writing (pg. 63), Numbers & Counting, and Adding & Subtracting (pgs. 100 & 101), Measuring & Comparing, Patterns, and Shapes (pgs. 102 & 103), Science Skills & Processes (pg. 143), Understanding the Natural World and Understanding the Physical World (pgs. 144 & 145), Reasoning & Problem Solving (pg. 171), Executive Function Skills (pgs. 172-73), Initiative & Curiosity (pgs. 174-75), Understanding, Expressing & Managing Emotions (pg. 207), Building Relationships (pgs. 208-09), and Body Parts & How to Care for Them (pg. 244), Healthy Eating, Moving Our Bodies, Resting Our Bodies (pg. 244-45).
Yet, for all its strengths, the book also reveals missed opportunities—especially regarding digital accessibility. With such rich, structured content, the absence of an e-book or app version feels like a significant oversight. An interactive digital tool could allow parents to filter content by age or developmental domain, making it easier to use in daily routines. This would be especially helpful for tech-savvy parents and caregivers who already use devices as part of their parenting toolkit. For contrast, Katie Davis’s “Technology's Child” (see my review) addresses digital media’s role in childhood development in depth but lacks the kind of detailed developmental tables that Truglio offers. Combining Davis’s insights with Truglio’s age-specific framework could yield a powerful future collaboration or co-developed resource.
Furthermore, considering the increasing role of digital ecosystems in family life, Truglio and Sesame Workshop might consider adopting what Iansiti and Lakhani term a “keystone strategy” (see my review of their “Competing in the Age of AI”). A companion app or platform might serve as a connective hub in the child development network, continuously updated with vetted media, activities, and evolving developmental milestones. This would be particularly helpful to modern families especially those facing economic or logistical challenges—like those depicted in Thorpe’s “Margo’s Got Money Problems” (see my review).
Even with my criticism, “Sesame Street Ready for School!” remains a warm, practical, and research-driven resource that affirms Sesame Workshop’s legacy of combining education and entertainment. While it could be further strengthened by greater integration with today’s digital tools and platforms, its current form still offers considerable value. It is an essential guide for parents of young children—and a thoughtful prompt for educators and developers to continue bridging the gap between media and meaningful learning.
April 15, 2025
The book recommendation on each of the 8 topics are very handy, and I did a quick search and seemed like many of those are available at the local library so it would not be hard for me to get those to read with my child.
The games that the book suggested are easy to play, and I really like the tips and suggestions to the adults which help to enhance the "play and learn" process.
I also loves the vocabularies and wordings that the book recommends the adults to use when playing the games under each topics so that the child can get familiar and learn those keywords.
I have taken down many notes from this book and I am looking forward to apply what I have learned on everyday play activities with my child.
The games that the book suggested are easy to play, and I really like the tips and suggestions to the adults which help to enhance the "play and learn" process.
I also loves the vocabularies and wordings that the book recommends the adults to use when playing the games under each topics so that the child can get familiar and learn those keywords.
I have taken down many notes from this book and I am looking forward to apply what I have learned on everyday play activities with my child.
February 11, 2025
This book is such a great resource for parents who want to add more learning into everyday moments with their kids. It really highlights how just being present and playing can make a big impact on a child’s development. I loved the easy-to-read charts that break down different learning stages by age.
I didn’t read it cover to cover but skimmed through it since it’s more of a reference book. I checked it out from the library, but I might buy a copy to keep at home for those days when I’m feeling out of ideas. Definitely worth checking out if you want fun, simple ways to help your child learn!
I didn’t read it cover to cover but skimmed through it since it’s more of a reference book. I checked it out from the library, but I might buy a copy to keep at home for those days when I’m feeling out of ideas. Definitely worth checking out if you want fun, simple ways to help your child learn!
December 7, 2023
I don't give many 5-star reviews, especially for reference type books. This rare one breaks the mold. It is accessible without sacrificing rigour of evidence, it is well organized and easy to return to, and it was quite frankly a joy to read. Recommended for all parents or those with kids in their lives.
December 21, 2019
A nice guide with tips on how to get your child where society demands they be and still allow them to be kids!
March 12, 2020
This is a wonderful resource for parents, teachers, or anyone interested in early literacy or early learning.
September 27, 2020
Lots of great, and easy tips. Better suited for parents around 1-2 years old to get the most out of it, but still great tips for everyone
August 24, 2024
Lots of great, detailed advice on how to interact with toddlers 2-5 years old, preparing them not only for school but for other parts of life.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews