It’s no doubt that anytime we can provide more reading time with toddlers the better! That’s why I put together 5 Reading Tips for Toddlers, to help parents and caretakers provide the best reading for their kids. In fact research shows that the more words a child hears by the age of 3 directly correlates with their IQ later in life.
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Make sure you read that right … the more words a child hears. Not to be confused with how many words they say.
This is so important because it shows the significance of talking to children starting from day 1. The more we interact with them, the more connections they are making in the brain.
Carly a speech therapist from Wee-Talkers often reminds parents that it is developmentally appropriate for your child to understand way more than they can verbalize.
This is why pediatricians, teachers, and other professionals that work with children tell you to read to your kids. We know that reading to kids is one of the easiest ways to get children hearing, seeing, and engaging with language.
But I’m here to tell you that not all reading is created equal. There are things you can do to best support your children’s language, phonemic awareness, and comprehension when reading.
Let’s look at these common mistakes and 5 reading tips for toddlers, preschoolers, and young children.
1. Not Using Voices:
Have you ever heard a teacher read aloud to a class? Teachers are entertaining and captivating when they read to children.
Teachers do this for a number of reasons including
– making it entertaining for students and to help keep their attention.
– by giving the characters different voices, children are more able to distinguish who is speaking and what is happening within the story.
– Using different voices for characters, different voice level and tone while reading to children will help increase their listening skills. This will help them to better hear words and improve their phonemic awareness. You. Can read more about phonemic awareness below:
2. Stopping Mid-Book:
Picture this, my one and a half year old brings me a book, sits in my lap, and I start reading to him. I tell him all about the pictures on the pages and use different voices. But then he just gets up and goes to play cars. I have a choice to make. I can keep reading or do something else (like check social media on my phone, put away laundry, or even play cars with him).
The best way to get him re-engaged in the book (and that will help him sit through it longer next time) is to keep reading. Remember when I said that babies, toddlers, and children are able to understand more than they can say.
So while he’s playing cars, he’s still learning about this book that I’m reading to him. He’s still hearing the words and soaking in all of the communication that I’m telling him.
3. Not Describing or Talking About the Pictures:
This is huge for babies and toddlers! In fact it’s one of the best things you can give young children.
– Tell them all of the things in the pictures – as they get a bit older start describing the pictures: red truck, big pumpkin, or striped heart.
-Then you can ask them to point out the pictures “point to the red truck.” Or “where is the big pumpkin?”
4. Reading the Wrong Books:
Looking for books perfect for 1 or 3 year olds? I have you covered!
If you are looking for books for kids in school, I suggest you ask your teacher. They will be able to give some appropriately leveled books for your child to read at home.
5. Not Asking Questions:
Remember that teachers use reading to students as a tool. There’s always a comprehension scale or lesson to be learned with a read aloud book.
Teachers read to help children:
-expand their connections between text (the book you are reading them) and how it may relate to them, their world, or another book they have heard
-expand vocabulary
-get kids to think differently or ask questions about the world around them
-To get children to ask questions about the text and the characters “I wonder why …” or “what was the character thinking when…”
The same can be true for you and your home. Of course when kids are little they are going to read books that are interesting to them. But you can take that interest they have to help develop your child’s critical thinking skills, to get them to ask questions, and make connections to the stories they are hearing.
So there you have five common mistakes that parents make when reading to their children at home. Did you find these 5 reading tips for toddlers helpful for you?
Let me know what mistakes you make when reading with your children in the comments below.
Don’t forget to share this with another parent or caretaker.
Love, Ashley E
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One Response
Thank you for sharing such valuable information for me to remember as I read to my grandchildren.