Eight tips for reading with a toddler

One of my favorite ways to spend time with my grandson is sitting down to read with him and my grandson truly loves the reading experience…

Reading with my grandson has given me the opportunity to observe and participate in the toddler reading experience. Based upon my own personal observations, I thought I would share with you a few helpful tips I have discovered about reading with a toddler…

Read with a toddler tip #1: Choose quality board books

The books that we currently read with my 12 month old grandson are almost all books that come in the form of a board book.  After reading the book at least one time through, my grandson likes to have me read the book again only this time, he wants to turn the pages himself. Because my grandson is still building the necessary fine motor control to grasp objects, the thicker pages of a board book make it much easier for my grandson to grab a hold of each page..

Read with a toddler tip #2: Get the board book “read-ready”

One thing I do to help my grandson turn the pages of a board book is to get the board book “read-ready.” If the board book is new or barely used, it can be stiff and difficult to keep each page in the open position. To help with this, I open each page of the book and bend it backwards to try and stretch out the binding just a little bit. Bending back the pages help them to stay open rather than quickly snapping back closed every time my grandson lets go of a page…

Read with a toddler tip #3:  Fingertip page turning

In my grandson’s case, he likes to sit through the reading of the book without interacting with the book the first time we sit to read it – he just wants to watch as I read and turn the pages. After I have read a book with my grandson a time or two, I like to encourage him to try turning the pages on his own. Whether I am reading a book with paper pages or board pages, I lift up the page with my finger just a bit when I am ready to turn the page but I don’t always go ahead and turn the page.  If I pause for just a few seconds, my grandson will almost always reach down where my finger is and turn the page the rest of the way by himself…

Read with a toddler tip #4: Follow your child’s lead and know the difference between types of books

There are different kinds of books and my grandson likes some and others he tends to lack any interest in. I try to pay attention to which books he enjoys and which ones he doesn’t seem to be all that interested in.  I also have noticed that different types of books invite different kinds of interaction. For example…

  • My grandson likes books that make sounds when you push a button but doesn’t necessarily want to sit and actually read through the book.  For a sound or audio book, my grandson would rather just play with the buttons or listen to the sounds rather than listen to me read the book. He does enjoy reading sound books but I adjust my approach to reading with him. I don’t worry about reading the book. Instead, we just interact together with the buttons and sounds as I talk about the pictures on each page of the book.
  • My grandson loves flap books like “Where’s Spot”.  My grandson has become quite proficient at opening and closing the flap of each door, drawer, basket and so forth on the pages of the “Spot” book we read. In my grandson’s case, he likes for me to read the book all the way through and lift the flaps myself through the first reading. After the first reading, my grandson likes to read the book again and this time he will reach out and lift the flaps himself.
  • And my grandson loves simple read-aloud books. With a simple read-aloud picture book, my grandson enjoys having me read it to him over and over again. He often likes to turn the pages himself after the first reading or two and I have noticed that he likes certain pictures better than others. In the board book titled “The Best Mouse Cookie” by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond, my grandson always stops the reading to reach out and touch the same spot on the same page of the book every time we read it. He will sit and rub his finger over a certain spot on the page for a few seconds and then he is ready to move on.  I am not sure why he likes this picture over all the others but this is his reading experience so I follow his lead. When he is ready to move on, we move on.


Reading with a toddler tip #5: Know the best time for reading

My grandson seems to enjoy reading the most when he is ready to wind down from other types of play. As a general practice, we tend to read with my grandson right before nap time or bed time.  However, we don’t necessarily connect reading to going to sleep – keep that in mind.  On some days, I will sit and read to my grandson at the end of a busy day while waiting for his mommy to pick him up or any time he is ready to switch from a more active type of play to something more calm.  Although we are happy to read with my grandson any time he shows an interest, wind-down times seem to be the times when he is most attentive and interested in the reading experience…

Reading with a toddler tip #6: Keep books within toddler reach

All of my grandson’s favorite books are down where he can reach them anytime he wants. There are times when my grandson will stop and push the buttons or turn the pages or look at the pictures on his own because the books are a part of his play experience and play things…

Reading with a toddler tip #7: Gradually build up your collection

Because I am a preschool teacher, I probably have over 50 board books in my collection of children’s books but my grandson and I have only read about five of those books. It seems that my grandson would rather read the same book many times over than read something new. Every once in awhile, I will introduce a new book to my grandson along with his current favorites and if he is responsive to the book, it is a keeper and if he lacks any interest, the book goes back on the shelf to wait for another day…

Reading with a toddler tip #8: Get everybody reading

Everyone in my grandson’s family gets involved in the reading experience in their own way. His mommy and daddy read to him daily and even grandpa gets in on the action every once in awhile.  Different personalities bring variety into the reading experience and for my grandson, reading with his family leads to the important process of building bonds and creating memories related to the reading experience.

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Deborah J Stewart

Deborah J Stewart

Every time I think I know everything I need to know about teaching young children, God says, "Hold on a minute!" and gives me a new challenge.

Let me tell ya...

With each new challenge that you overcome, you will find yourself better equipped and more passionate about teaching young children.

God didn't call wimps to lead, teach, or care for His children. Nope, he has high expectations, so get ready. You will have to give your very best but after teaching for over 30 years, I can tell you that it is a wonderful and rewarding journey.

Whenever your calling feels hard, just remember, 'He who began a good work in you (and in the children you serve) will be faithful to complete it.'

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