Edie loves books. She whacks us on the head with them to read to her in the morning and takes several of them with her to bed at night. I love that she has such an intense love of books, as many young children do, but with such a short attention span it can be challenging to sit down and read with her.
In partnership with Houghton Mifflin and the very sweet book, The Full Moon at the Napping House by Audrey Wood, illustrated by Don Wood. I thought I’d share a few tips with you for reading with toddlers so story time with your young child can be more enjoyable.
The Full Moon at the Napping House is a companion to the classic board book, The Napping House which came out more than 30 years ago. It’s a sweet bedtime story with a lot of repetition, animals, and beautiful illustrations in a funny kind of chain reaction story that happens at night. Edie regularly requests this book now anytime of day.
A few years ago I read a book called The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. He talks about the importance of reading out loud for all ages of children, especially young children. He says, “children hearing the most language will have the best chance of having the best language skills.” He also provides a comprehensive list of his favorite books in the back. But what I’ve found most useful recently are his tips for reading out loud with toddlers and I thought I’d share some tips from the book with you today:
1. Begin reading with your child as early as possible, the younger you start the easier it it.
2. Let the child pick the book.
3. Choose books for infants and toddlers that include rhymes, songs, and repetition to stimulate language and listening.
4. Slow down enough for the children to see the pictures without feeling hurried. Most people read aloud way too quickly.
5. Vary your voice and use interactive dialogue with simple questions for maximum engagement.
6. Read the same book multiple times. Repetition helps children learn language and comprehension.
7. Don’t worry about toddlers getting up and moving away. Continue to read to them. Jim Trelease says, “attention spans are not built overnight – they are built minute by minute, page by page, day by day.”
8. Read as often as you and child have time for.
9. For older toddlers, give them a paper and crayons if they start to get fidgety.
10. Don’t read a book you don’t like yourself. And since the child is picking the book, make sure all the pictures books in your home are ones you love! Your dislike will affect how you read the book.
Any tips for reading with toddlers? I’d love to hear your ideas!