Teach Mom Learn

I love to read.  As a child, I woke up early on weekend mornings so I could try to finish an entire Babysitter’s Little Sister book before the rest of the house woke up.  And whenever a new Harry Potter book came out, I was there (usually in costume) and didn’t put the book down until it was finished. 

As soon as I had Rae, I couldn’t wait to share my love of books with her.

When Rae was an infant, she listened to every story happily in my arms.  We snuggled as we read piles of books together every day. 

And then, she got older, and story time became a source of frustration for her.  She shoved books out of my hands, threw them on the ground, and cried angrily whenever I tried to read to her.  Naturally, I freaked out and brought it up to her pediatrician at the next appointment.

“Lisa,” my ever-patient doctor said, “She’s 6 months old.  Give it some time.”  So I did. 

And now, as a 1-year-old, Rae loves her books as much as her favorite stuffed puppy.  She carries them everywhere with her, she brings them to me dozens of times every day (and usually runs away halfway through the book), and she’s even started reading to me over the last few weeks.  She turns each page, looks at me pointedly, and chants, “Da-DAH-da-da” with as much enthusiasm and showmanship as a preschool teacher. 

Cultivating Rae’s love of reading has been so much fun, but it’s not always easy.  She has strong opinions and still doesn’t hesitate to rip a book out of my hand, whip it across the room, and run in the other direction when she feels like it. 

I’ve learned to let her take the lead completely, to read what and when she wants, and to build in little tricks from the classroom to make story time more engaging.  Here are the 10 strategies I’ve found to be most helpful:

1. The more interactive the better.  Look for flap books, pop-up books, touch and feel books, or anything else where your little nugget can take an active roll in the reading process. 

Rae’s favorite books, like Pop-Up Peekaboo Farm, have been ripped apart, the flaps open to show ripped pages and missing animals, but she doesn’t care. Baby Woof Woof is a particularly strong flap book, so I’d highly recommend it.  And Rae can’t get enough of Touch and Feel: Puppy.

2. Look for books with a predictable structure so your toddler can “read” with you.  For example, Jimmy Fallon’s Everything is Mama or Your Baby’s First Word Will be Dada offer the perfect opportunities for toddlers to participate by calling out the repeated words on each page. 

As a bonus, you can start their sight word recognition early by pointing to the words and their corresponding pictures as you read them. 

3. Turn reading into a choreographed routine.  Toddlers love music, singing, and dancing, so it makes sense that they’d want story time to be just as interactive.  When you find yourself reading the same book twelve times a day, build in some fun performance elements for them. 

Tickles, silly voices, and over-the-top gasps and facial expressions at predictable points in the story will become something they look forward to (and demand) each time they curl up with you.  Sandra Boynton’s Moo Baa La La La is our current favorite for this, Rae loves it so much that she tried to eat it!

4. Use the books as teaching tools.  Toddler books are colorful and full of adorable details.  They’re the perfect tool to teach receptive language, and they’re engaging enough to keep your toddler entertained through your little lesson.  For younger toddlers, start with simple questions like, “Where’s the kitty?” or “Where’s the doggy’s nose?” 

As your toddler gets older, you can make the questions far more complex and evaluate character’s actions, motivations, and emotions.  You’ll love hearing the creativity in their answers. Rae and I attend a virtual story time each week with her cousins, and listening to the three-year-olds create elaborate stories behind each character is so much fun!

National Geographic’s Dogs is particularly great for this because Rae loves staring at dogs, and the book is packed with them.  Rae carefully pats their noses and ears right now, but the book contains plenty of questions that encourage the reader to evaluate the pictures of each dog as she gets a little older.

5. Give them a job to do.  Toddlers love to be in control, and Rae is no exception.  When we read, it’s her job to pick the book, turn the pages, and open the flaps.  Taking an active role in story time helps keep toddlers engaged in the story and makes them feel like valued participants in the process.  Rae loves the thick pages and virtually indestructible flaps of Little Blue Boat and Little Yellow Bee.

6. Move at their pace.  If they want to turn the pages backwards and read them again, go with it! If they want to open and close the flap 17 times, that’s great.  They’re engaged, and that’s all that matters.  And when they decide they’re done or they’re not in the mood for a specific book, go with that too. 

7. Keep books in their play space.  Books should never be viewed as a chore, and by including them in your toddler’s playroom, you make them just as available as any other toy.  Rae’s bookshelf is right next to the toy organizer in her playroom, and she’s just as likely to grab a book as she is to pick up her favorite toy food (a ½ dozen plastic carton of eggs). 

Bath books are great for this too, your toddler can relax in the warm water and flip through their book when they’re not splashing everything in sight.  By incorporating books into play early, you’re teaching your toddler that reading is just as fun as playing with their other toys.

8. Praise them whenever they demonstrate “book sense.”  Book sense is a toddler’s understanding of the way a book works.  Things like holding the book the correct way, viewing the page from left to right, and turning the pages from front to back are great skills for toddlers to develop, and the more they’re around books, the better!

Consciously and specifically praising proper book behaviors (e.g., “I love how you’re turning the pages!”) help your toddler learn when they’re doing something right.  Of course, you can still applaud them if they’re reading a book upside down and backwards, but it may help focus your compliments on their love of reading or their choice of book in those moments.

9. Bring story time beyond bedtime so they don’t associate books with bed.  When Rae was younger, she quickly associated bedtime with story time.  She started crying the second I put my hand on a book because she knew it was only a matter of time until I put her in the crib.  Clearly, that was a disaster, so I started reading to her randomly throughout the day.

 Within two days, the tears stopped and she was back to her usual sunny self at story time.  Now, she grabs books off her shelf all the time and hands them to me at random moments throughout the day.  When your toddler does this, if it’s at all possible, drop everything and read to them as long as they’ll stay snuggled up with you. 

By making books a fun activity throughout the day, you’re normalizing them as part of the daily routine rather than just a step toward bedtime.

10. Let them read whatever they want.  Toddlers are just beginning to develop their interests, so make sure to have a variety of reading materials available to them. 

We have the standard children’s books, but I also have Shutterfly books full of family pictures, cooking and home décor magazines, and even some graphic novels.  Rae loves looking at the pictures (and tearing the magazines apart). 

As your child gets older, continue letting them read whatever is interesting to them.  So many parents get caught up in letting their kids read only books that are educational, but here’s the thing -all reading is educational.  Every single time you read, you’re building the skills that make you a better reader. 

So if your child is fascinated by car magazines and comic books, that’s awesome! If they love the classics, good for them!   All that matters is that they’re reading and that they’re excited about it. 

Oh, and one more thing -toddlers love tiny books! Rae got a pack of them from her great grandmother, and she carries them with her everywhere. They’re easy to run around with, lightweight for throwing, and great for developing motor skills. Definitely check them out!

Now snuggle up with your little nuggets and few good books and enjoy! And for more fun activities you can do with your toddler, check out these ideas for shared self-care!

What are some books your toddler loves? I’d love to know! Please share in the comments below!