Have you already been trying to introduce you toddler or preschooler to books, but are having trouble with refusal and Books serve a key role in child development. Book availability in the home is linked to reading skills and academic achievement as children get older and enter school. While we focus on developing a toddlers language through play, it is important to have fun exposing them to age appropriate books as well, so we can help them meet their pre-literacy milestones. ( I will cover these in a separate blog post)
It all begins with books selection! Knowing your toddler's interests and preferences will help you pick out books that are right for them. For instance, do they LOVE all things cars and trucks- look through options incorporating those objects. When choosing a book to bring home, Let's consider their:
1) interests (are they going through a car phase or an animal phase- that is great, there are so many options!)
2) favorite characters (Is your toddler or preschooler a Peppa Pig fan or love all things Disney- you might have luck finding these characters at your library.
3) Consider books with a tactile component- (Never Touch A series, Melissa and Doug Poke-A-Dot books, or anything with lift the flap)
4) Favorite songs or nursery rhymes- If your child loves when you sing Wheels on the Bus, keep a look out for books or variations of that song! I highly encourage any parent to try singing even if it is out of your comfort zone or if you feel like you are a "bad" singer. Kids really don't care what your skills level is, and the more you do it, the more comfortable you will get with it. (Although- some children don't like hearing anyone sing at all because of sensory overload and that's OK, but if that is the case, then I also like to try books with:
5) Rhythms and repetition- some examples might include 5 Little Monkeys or Who Stole the Cookie
Here are some examples of the favorite books that my most reluctact toddlers have gravitated toward- you can tell they are good books because of their tired condition:
(Photo includes: We All Go Traveling By by Sheena Roberts, No No Yes Yes by Leslie Patricellli, and Poke-A-Dot Goodnight Animals)
Now that you are prepared to pick out some great books for your family, we still likely need to encourage using them once we have them. Many kiddos will take those books and beg you to read it to them over and over again, which is fantastic! But what if your child still doesn't particularly like books? Here are some things you can do at home to encourage reading and book play!
1) Incorporate the book into their favorite play routine- Some kids might protest when you even bring out a book. It is especially important to keep reading fun with these little guys. I like to find a book with an interesting image and include it in the preferred play routine. Let's say a kiddo can play with cars ALL DAY- Maybe I open up the book to the image of a an animal and place it in the middle of a car track. We can talk about how the cars are going around the animal. Or lets say your kiddo like playing with blocks- maybe I would pull out some sturdy board books to help us make the tower really tall. Or maybe we build a wall for the animal in the book and place the book inside our design.
2) Its OK to skip pages- if your child is still developing their sustained attention, lets get them looking at just a couple of pages. Most of the books at this age are repetitive don't have much of a plot, so skipping pages is a bit easier. I try not to bring much attention to fact that I am skipping pages & I try to end the activity before they request to end it. This is a great opportunitiy for positive reinforcement ("oh, Lucy, I loved how you were looking at all the pictures where I was pointing- what do you want to play next?") It also helps me build up their trust for future book related interactions.
3) Gain a captive audience- It might be helpful to incorporate a short and highly preferred book when your child is a captive audience. Let's make sure they are content, but sometimes introducing a book to your child (or even just reading a book to yourself) while they wait to be taken out of their high chair after breakfast. They may be tempted to see what you are so entertained with or they might realize its not so bad after all. Now, we don't necessarily want to do this if they are fussy, but for some kiddos, they might be better able to participate with this seating option.
4) Positive reinforcement: This is key, no matter where you Little is on their bookish journey. Here are some examples of what you might say to praise your child when book reading:
- "I love how you looked at the puppy!"
- " Thank you so much for reading with me- I love that book!"
- "You found the kitty cat- it is so cute!"
- "Wow you looked at ALL those pages with me"
5) Pretending pictures are real objects: One of my favorite ways to encourage fun with books is using pretend play to my advantage. I might pretend to pick up the apple that is in the picture and eat it & then pretend to pick up another and give it to the child. Books that are labeled "First Words" are great for this strategy because the images are usually very clear and simple & incorporate objects that your child likely recognizes already.
6) Make books easy to reach- Unlike recommendations I make for favorite toys, I recommend placing books in an easy to reach location, like the bottom shelf of the toy rack. This way, your child can play with books even if they don't have the words to tell you yet!
7) Over and over again- Let your child choose books from your big or little library. Read the same book over and over again for as long as you can tolerate it! This repetition is how children learn the basics and the nuances of our language.
I hope you are able to implement these simple recommendations. Finding the right books for your toddler can be really tricky and it is highly individual depending on their interests, sensory needs, and the culture of the family. If you would like some help navigating books with your child, Rachel Homza Speech and Language offers free short consultations to help determine if an evaluation, therapy, or parent/caregiver coaching might be right for your needs. You can reach me at rachelhomzaslp@gmail.com or text (321) 209-1193 to set up a call at a good time for you. I hope to hear from you!
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