4 reading tips to help your toddler participate in story time
One of the most common messages we share with the families I work with is that there is no one right way to read a book. In speech therapy, we use books as a tool for language learning, so we have done a lot of reading with kids. We’ve had to get creative with books, and find ways to keep kids interested. Now, we have a few tricks and ideas for making books more fun, engaging, and educational for little ones, and we’re so happy to share them with parents like you! We think they’ll help a lot if you and your little one are stuck in a reading rut.
We love these tips because they’re simple, easy to do at home, and they don’t require any new items or supplies. These tips can be just the thing you need to add some new life to the toys and books your family is cycling through again and again.
1. Add A Toy
When you’re reading with your child, adding a toy that’s related to the book helps keep them engaged. With a toy in hand, you can act out the words, the actions, or the story you’re reading about, which makes the words come to life! It’s usually really fun for a child this way.
We get DMs from some of you saying that your kids won’t sit and listen to a book, so if this is you, this tip will be perfect! Your child doesn’t need to sit like a statue or anything, and having the toy will give them a way to wiggle, play, and still listen. Their interest + a little play = a winning combination!
How It Works:
During story time (or before or after), provide a related toy for your child and just follow their lead!
If they need a little help with it, you can always show some things to do with the toy. Just be playful, and model a few ideas for them. There’s no exact way to do this, so you can just have fun with it!
2. Talk About NEW things
Toddlers love to read the same books over and over, and that can get really repetitive, really fast if you’re just reading and talking about the words and pictures on the page. Repetition is great for their language development, so it’s great to read the same books repeatedly.
The good news is that oftentimes there is so much to explore beyond the written words. So if your toddler is into re-reading the same book again and again, try adding some variety by discussing other things you see in the pictures.
How It Works:
Instead of just naming the pictures, try using other types of words for a little vocabulary boost. You could try:
Action words;
Descriptive words; or
Location words.
Some Ideas:
For an animal book— use words to talk about the picture like:
“Yes, that’s a duck! He’s quacking and swimming in the water!”
“The duck has yellow feathers. He looks soft and fluffy.”
“The duck went underwater.”
For ice cream — use words to talk about the picture like:
“Lick”, “bite”, “eat”
“Crunchy” or “creamy”
“The ice cream is on top of the cone!
Put it in Action:
Step 1: Grab a book your child loooooves to read over & over.
Step 2: This time when you read it, point out 3 new things you’ve never talked about before.
3. Talk About the Print
We can help our kids understand that print has meaning and that it’s different from the pictures by talking to them about the print on the page. This concept is especially important for preschoolers to begin to understand.
How It Works:
Next time you read together, try talking explicitly about the printed words.
Some Ideas:
Explain what the words “title”, “illustrator” and “author” mean.
Count the number of words in the title or on a page.
Track the words on the page as you read the story.
Make connections to your child. (“The word bear starts with the letter “b,” just like your name, Ben!”)
Put it in Action
Try talking about printed words when you're out and about, too. Point out and discuss things like street signs, posters, etc.! Look for what catches their attention.
4. PAUSE.
It’s great to read a whole book to your child while they sit and listen, but we also want to give them opportunities to be more involved. Think of reading together like a ping pong or tennis match-- back and forth, back and forth between the two of you. This means reading or saying something, pausing, and giving your child a moment to respond.
Pausing and allowing your child to participate will let you follow your child’s lead and notice their interests. This is great for helping to encourage communication skills & learning!
How It Works:
Try turning reading time into more of a conversation. Read or say something, pause, and wait. This will give your child the time they need to respond in their own way.
Your child may respond with:
Gestures: Pointing to something, looking at something.
Making a sound.
Saying words & sentences.
Related: Reading with a Busy Toddler
Need some new book ideas?
We’ve got you covered! When we host toddler story times or speak at parent groups, we get so many questions about our favorite books, so we put together a free, downloadable book list with all of our go-to’s! Enter your email below and grab a copy for yourself-- you’ll love it!
Also, read through the comments in this post! It’s full of comments from other parents about the books their kids are loving right now.