The most overlooked age when it comes to reading is babies and toddlers. The sad truth is that between the ages of zero and three is the most important time to read to a child.
Early language and literacy development begins in the first three years of life. It is closely related to a child's experiences with books and stories. The best time to begin reading to a child is when he or she is still an infant. Early literacy skills are essential to developing reading and writing skills and should be a focus.
Nothing warmed my heart more than seeing my husband reading to our baby. We would set him up in a Boppy and read to him every night before putting him down to bed. The kid was talking before he was one. This isn't saying that your child will be some genius if you read to him/her as a baby. It just provides a foundation that is essential in language development.
What are some tips to share books with babies and toddlers?
Make sharing books park of every day-this can be done at bedtime, in the morning, etc. Just take the time to make it a special part of each day.
Have fun-I hate to say be that annoying person with the overly excited voice, but babies love it. Babies and toddlers can develop a love of reading based on your love of reading. Show them that books are fun so that they have that love when it is time to learn to read.
Add music-Stories don't all have to be read. Make up your own tune and get singing. Songs tell stories just as well as reading the written word. Get creative!
Don't make them finish the book-You don't have to read an entire book for them to grasp a story. Read what you can in the amount of time they give you. As they grow, they will sit longer. Just don't force it because they will begin to resent the time.
Get the toddler involved-As your child grows, they will be able to participate more in the reading process. Buy interactive books that allow them to point to colors or favorite characters. Let them turn the pages, act out the story with them-make it come alive!
Make your own book-babies and toddlers love learning about who they are. Make a book titled family and have pictures of your family. Be sure to include aunts and uncles! Or have pictures of your child as a baby until the current time. Tape a mirror in back! This is a great opportunity to learn about who they are and who their family is in one book. You can also do this with colors and let them color sheets and then bind together. Just involve your baby or toddler in a personal way!
There are so many opportunities to develop a baby and toddlers language and literacy. Stay tuned for part two in this series-what to look for when choosing baby and toddler books.
