Have you been wondering how to read to your toddler in a way that will encourage their
language development?
In this video I’m going to talk about five things you can do to optimize your storytimes
to be educational moments.
The first thing to do is create the right environment.
Find a comfortable place for you to sit together and read.
You might have a favorite seat in your child’s room, playroom or living room that's your
go to spot for reading.
Do it at a time of day when your toddler is in a good mood and eager for the activity.
Also try your best to create a quiet environment, free of electronics and other distractions.
Give your child two or three books to choose from.
By letting toddlers play a role in choosing what interests them is one way that we make
reading fun for them.
There are times when the toddler might want to hear the same favorite story over and over.
It’s fine to keep rereading the same book.
Repetition is very beneficial for your child’s language development.
If your toddler loses interest or has trouble paying attention, just put the book away for
the time being.
It’s fine if you only get a few minutes of reading in.
We want the toddler to maintain a positive association with reading books.
With practice and consistency, your child will be able to sit and listen for longer
periods of time.
The second thing to do is choose age appropriate books that will capture your child’s attention
and encourage their participation.
Toddlers are constantly on the move, and tend to struggle with sitting in one place for
too long.
They enjoy books with action about everyday experiences that help them explore and understand
their world.
As you choose books, look for sturdy board books that have simple story lines and large
colorful pictures or photographs.
The pop-up, touch-and-feel, and lift-the-flap books peak the toddler’s interest and provide
interactive and sensory exploration experiences.
Toddlers enjoy books that talk about animals, colors, numbers, shapes and letters.
Choose books about familiar and comforting things like mealtime, saying goodbye and other
routine activities.
Also read some books that show children doing activities that you want to encourage your
child to do, such as eating their vegetables, communicating with you about their feelings,
or potty training.
Adding books into the mix that associate real objects with words and how we use those items,
helps your child learn their names and reinforces how we use them in our everyday lives.
And goodnight books for bedtime are great to help toddlers wind down at the end of a
very active day.
Books with songs, poetry and repetitive text are fun for toddlers.
They make it easy for the toddler to memorize the storyline and participate in reading or
singing along when you reread those books again.
Sometimes you may notice that your child doesn’t seem interested in you reading the story,
but is more captivated by the pictures and characters in the book.
It’s fine for you to talk about what’s going on in the pictures instead, or let your
child make up the story as you flip from page to page.
I have links to some great book options for toddlers in the description below, if you’d
like to check them out.
The third thing to do is make reading an interactive experience for your toddler.
As you're reading the book, run your finger along the bottom of the words.
This will draw your child’s attention to the words and help them realize that it’s
the words we read and not the pictures.
It will also make your child aware that we read words on a page from left to right and
from top to bottom.
To make it even more interactive, take your toddlers hand, with the index finger pointing
out, and guide it underneath the words as you’re reading them.
Also help your child point out the different things in the pictures as you’re talking
about them.
If you’re reading a lift-a-flap book, have your toddler participate by opening the flaps
to discover what’s underneath.
Don’t be in a rush to just read straight through a book, but give your child time to
make the most out of every page.
Encourage your toddler to look at the pictures, point out different objects, repeat words,
and talk about the story.
Also engage your child’s participation in turning the pages.
To make the story come alive even more, use different tones of voice, do hand movements
and make sound effects.
For example if there’s a picture of a cup, you can point to it and ask your toddler,
“what’s this?”
After your toddler names it, you can ask “how do you drink from a cup?”
And demonstrate bringing an imaginary cup to your mouth while making a sound effect.
Or if there’s a picture of blueberries, have your toddler tell you what the picture
shows.
Then do hand movements demonstrating eating the blueberries.
It's not just what you’re reading that matters, but also how you read it that makes for a
more memorable and educational experience for your toddler.
The fourth thing to do is encourage your toddler’s input.
Children don’t absorb as much from us just reading straight through a book without engaging
their participation.
To optimize the learning experience, as you’re reading a book, take time to discuss what's
happening in the story and point things out on the pages.
To build your child’s vocabulary, name the objects in the picture as you’re pointing
to them and give your child the opportunity to repeat the names.
You can also switch it up and ask your toddler to point to the object that you name or have
them name the object as you point to it.
Make it a big deal every time your child points or names an object by praising their effort
or accomplishment.
As your child starts speaking more, you can encourage their input further by asking more
questions such as: "What is this?"
“What are they doing?”
“Why do you think this happened?” and “What do you think will happen next?”
If your child asks a question while you’re reading, stop and answer the question even
if it interrupts the story.
By helping your child put the pieces together in their mind, you help them learn more from
your story times.
Also look for ways to talk about how the story relates to your child's life.
Point out how the things that the characters are doing or using are similar to things that
your child does.
Or reflect on trips such as going to the zoo or other places that relate to the animals
or other items you’re seeing in the book.
After you’re finished reading a book, ask your child questions about what they liked
or didn’t like about the story.
Discussing the book helps you gauge your child's understanding, and gives you opportunities
to fill in the gaps where you notice your child needs to grow.
The fifth thing to do is expose your child to repetition of words and the consistency
of reading books on a daily basis.
A major part of your toddler’s speech development is due to hearing the same words used over
and over again.
Even though it may get boring for you, reading books with a lot of repetition, that have
the same words or pictures appearing over and over is very beneficial for your child’s
speech development.
For example, if you have a book with several pictures of the same item on the page, you
can go through it like this: “truck, truck, truck, truck, truck, and another truck.”
You can then point to one of them and ask your child, “what is this?” and then give
them the opportunity to name it.
Once you figure out the best time of day to read to your toddler, make it a part of your
schedule as a daily routine.
Even if it’s only for a few minutes a day, engaging your child around a book does wonders
for their development.
The first several years of a child’s life are instrumental in their speech and language
development.
For this reason it’s very important to do activities that provide them with the stimulation,
positive role modelling and human contact they need to develop the skills.
By creating the right environment, choosing age appropriate books, making it an interactive
experience that encourages your child’s participation, and being consistent in reading
on a daily basis, you provide your child with a rich environment for speech and language
development.
See you in the next video.