Toddler Reading
This weeks blog is for parents with toddlers. I hope that by reading this, your little one will be more engaged in their learning and have fun at home too! I hope you enjoy it! Try some of these tips this weekend!
Introducing your toddler to reading is a great way to help their development and foster a love of reading. You should be reading to your toddler for at least 15 minutes per day. Going through picture books and short, colorful books will get them captivated and excited for the particular reading time with you. We all think of bedtime, but reading to your child is something you can and should do whenever you have the opportunity! It’s not just for bedtime!
There are many benefits of reading to your toddler. Reading with a child is when they get the attention and love from you that they crave while allowing their brain to learn new words and develop more complex ideas. Reading also helps to improve and extend essential language skills. Just the sound of your voice and the pictures and emotion you put into the task provides fantastic benefits to them.
Multiple benefits to read aloud, and when to know if they are ready for more
Research suggests that children who read too regularly tend to have larger vocabularies. They also have a better understanding of the meaning of words start to understand how letters work together to make up words. Being able to recognize these early on has been linked with school readiness. As they grow, it can help to improve your child’s test scores in school.
Your toddler is ready to learn how to read when they show an interest in letters and words. They might ask you what the letters in their name are or makeup words for everyday objects. You just need patience and desire to help them understand that letters makeup words and have meanings.
Don’t feel bad if your child isn’t reading on their own right away. The best thing you can do is to keep reading to them! Every child develops a little differently and at a little different pace. Reading aloud to them will help improve their reading skills over time!
Keep it FUN!
Reading should be fun! You can encourage reading in your toddler by taking them to the library, playing with rhyme words, and using everyday objects as discussion starters. You can show your child how letters are put together to make up words by pointing out signs around you or when you’re outside. Pointing these things out when you’re having a conversation about them is a great way to help them learn. You can also help them sound out words by reading books that rhyme with different sounds like ‘Cat in the Hat.’ Just remember to take it slow.
Keep the sessions short and fun, but do several a day. Toddlers have a minimal attention span, so don’t expect them to stay still for a 30-minute storytime!
There is an endless amount of resources to help you. You can find books about learning the alphabet, learning colors, word families, sight words, reading comprehension questions, and more! Choose books that have colorful pictures, animals, special foldouts, and more. Use this handy tool on Reading Rockets to help you find some good books.
