INTRODUCING YOUR TODDLER TO READING

Written by Liza John

Reading is an essential skill that your child needs to possess in order to grow and develop into a successful, happy adult. Reading plays a key role in communication and is linked to listening, speaking and writing, while simultaneously stimulating creativity. It sparks imagination and aids in the development of social skills and helps your toddler learn more about the world around them. But how can you get your toddler to develop a liking for reading? Let’s see how.

Getting Started

Before being able to read themselves, toddlers need to possess enough literary skills, which include:

A large vocabulary
Phonemic awareness
Understanding and recognizing letters, symbols and words

The best way to inculcate these literary skills in your toddler is by reading to them. Reading to your toddler as often as possible is the best way to achieve this and set up a foundation for later independent reading.

Reading problems if detected in elementary school can be tricky to resolve, by starting early in their toddler and preschool years, you stand a chance to prevent these problems altogether.

Understanding Toddler Development

Your friend or relative might tell you about how their 4-year-old read the entire works by Shakespeare. Well, stranger things happen, but this doesn’t mean that you expect the same from your toddler. It is imperative that you understand all children are different.

The age at which children learn to read is usually around 6 to 7. While some may be able to do so at earlier ages, some may take more time, and that’s okay. So resist the urge to force your tot into reading too early. Reading should be a fun experience.

As time passes by, your toddler will gain the necessary skills to read. They may be able to recognize their names or recite a paragraph from a book they read. These skills act as stepping stones to what leads to reading.

Teaching Your Toddler To Read

The first and foremost thing you can do, is to read to or with them. Make it a part of their routines, to enable them to pick up the necessary skills for reading. Try to keep the topics of the books related in some sense, so that your toddler may be more engaged.

Here are some tips on what you can do to kindle a love for reading in your tot.

“What will happen next?”

While reading to them, don’t be passive, talk to them as often as possible and ensure they stay engaged. Ask them questions such as “What do you think happens next?”. Remember, the goal here is not to quiz them, but rather to challenge their creativity and keep them engaged.

Often add your own stories into the mix, and try to include new words when it makes sense. With time, your toddler will pick up a connection between the words you use and the ones on the page.

Put tech to use

This is the age of technology; there are a gazillion apps out there that can help introduce and reinforce reading to your tot. However, keep a check on their screen time, limiting it to less than an hour a day.

No, apps alone will not be sufficient to inculcate reading habits in toddlers. Rather, these should be used to complement other activities.

Label things around you

Look around you, there are words all over, from cereal cartons to stop signs on the road. When your child starts showing interest in reading, it may be a good idea to point out various combinations of letters or words around your child.

Instead of quizzing them, try a more constructive approach like “Do you see the cereal box on the table? It says k-e-l-l-o-g-g-s – Kellogg’s!”

Words are everywhere, try to get your child to see that reading and language is all around them.

Sing songs

From the classic ABC song, to Elmo’s Rap Alphabet, there are a lot of songs that help your child get a grip over learning language and literacy skills. Singing songs also keeps it fun and interesting for your kid.

Rhyming games

Rhyming is a good choice to improve and nurture literary skills in your junior. While you’re waiting in line or traffic, try asking your tot something like “What rhymes with Cat?” Let them come up with as many words as they can. Then switch to a new word and keep going.