Nation's Building News Online

Children Young and Old Receiving Entertaining Introductions to Home Building

Picture books for young children that provide an introductory glimpse into the world of home building are becoming increasingly popular, and as the holiday season fast approaches are fairly easy to find by searching the Web. Here are three:

• 'Raise the Roof' 
• 'Billy the Builder Bear' 
• 'Building Homes of Our Own'

'Raise the Roof'

A recent publication by illustrator Elwood Smith, “Raise the Roof!,” is an example of the many titles that are available. Plano, TX, author Anastasia Suen is married to an architect and she says that she has lived through years of construction and at long last has been able to turn all that dust and noise into a book.

“Grab your tool kit and put on your hard hat,” the book invites pre-schoolers. “There’s a house to build!”

'Billy the Builder Bear'

Available from BuilderBooks.com, "Billy the Builder Bear Builds a House" by Connie Balliere, the EO for the HBA of Midland, MI, is a publication that home builders can use to boost their image with youngsters in the community.

The 23-page softcover, full-color book tells children all about the home building process. It goes beyond the technical aspects of building a house and touches issues important to the industry: pride in the profession, caring about people and the environment and fine craftsmanship.

Billy is a warm and fuzzy ambassador from the home building industry to the world of children, and builders can personalize the book with their company name and donate them to schools or give them to clients and friends.

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'Building Homes of Our Own'

For middle and high school students, NAHB’s “Building Homes of Our Own” remains a popular way of reaching older children, and it is a resource that home builders associations and members of NAHB can easily put into the hands of teachers.

The free simulation program turns students into virtual home builders, while teaching them math, science, social studies, language arts and technology lessons.

Teachers have been enthusiastic about the educational resource because it appeals to their students’ interest in electronic games while teaching higher-order thinking skills and problem-solving.

“Building Homes of Our Own” CD-ROMs come with a comprehensive teacher’s guide, a guide that explains the game to associations and builders and tells them how to approach educators and a four-minute video showing how the program is being used in schools.

For more information on marketing tools and donating the resource to the community, NAHB members can click here, or e-mail Kym Kilbourne or call her at 800-368-5242 x8447.
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