If your four-year-old is ready, I highly recommend reading the first Little House book together. In it, Laura herself is four! We thoroughly enjoyed The Little House in the Big Woods. Some things that helped Vivienne to understand it as we read:

* Making this lapbook: These suggestions were so much fun – making butter, carving soap, and other hands-on projects. (Find all of the instructions and printouts at http://www.lapbooklessons.com)

* Pulling out the “My First Little House” series that we’ve been reading for the past two years. We first found this series at our local library and then decided that it was worth the investment of adding to our own library. Each story highlights a little snippet of the original books, maintaining the art work, historical details, and charm.