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Be selective - For very early reading choose books with good-sized, clear, bright and cheerful pictures and short, simple stories. Lots of toddlers enjoy rhyming books as they love the rhythms in poetry, but now is also a good opportunity to start introducing some very easy tales in prose.
Be persistent - Lots of toddlers do nothing but wriggle the first time they're read to, but repeated attempts are generally successful. Introduce a regular time for reading, bed-time is the traditional favorite, but if you have time in the morning a snuggly story-time session in bed can be great too.
Be imaginative - You know what interests and attracts your child better than the book's author. So don't feel you are obliged to read the words exactly as they're written. Allowing your imagination to improvise along the way can greatly enhance your child's enjoyment of the story and help encourage early reading.
Be interactive - Long before your child is able to read, they can join in the reading process. Ask them to point out the various characters in the pictures as you go along, or later get them to fill in some blanks in sentences or rhymes in books they're familiar with. As they get older try asking them questions like, "What do you think will happen next?" Joining in is part of the enjoyable experience that early reading ought to be - your child loves to have your attention and will actively anticipate these sessions together.
Be animated - Remember - early reading must be enjoyable - and no one enjoys listening to a boring monotone. A toddler who is still developing language skills will find an animated reading style not only more fun, but also easier to understand.
Be repetitive - Toddlers love to hear the same story over and over. It can drive you to distraction (believe me I know!!) but it's immensely satisfying to their young ears - and will encourage those early reading skills too.
Keep it short - Your toddler won't have developed a long attention span yet, so keep those early reading sessions short. Go through the pages quickly to keep them from getting fidgety, and be prepared to finish story time after just a few minutes if they're really not in the mood.
Be cuddly - Children who associate reading with the comfort of snuggling up on a much-loved parent's lap almost always enjoy reading books later on.
Set a good example - If your toddler sees you reading, even occasionally, they're likely to think it's a good, grown-up pastime and will most likely begin to start to their early reading sessions themselves.
Lastly, reduce the amount of TV that's watched by your toddler and the rest of the family. Research has shown that families who watch less read more.
Category: Reference and EducationEarly reading can be fun! was written by:Author:Ellie DixonAdded: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:20:05 -0400 This Article Has Been Read 215 times View all Ellie Dixon's articlesAbout the Author: Ellie Dixon lives in Devon, England. She adores vintage illustrated children's books and loves to restore and edit them for today's kids. Visit her website, Scruffy's Bookshop, to learn more about her new downloadable book called "How to Tell Stories to Children" together with five books full of great stories to tell. sign up for her free monthly newsletter and gifts while you're there. |
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