Fostering the Love of Reading - Part 2
Guest post written by Jomary Schulz, 3rd grade
public school teacher
Fostering the Love of Reading is a 5 part series posted on
Mondays, it began on November 5, 2012.
Part 2 – Toddlers - 1-3yrs old
A toddler is an exploring vessel. They learn using all of their 5 senses. Why not continue to foster the love of reading in a toddler by embracing how they learn. All children are like little sponges, but from the early age of 1 year old, they are ready to soak up anything and everything around them. Knowing how important reading will be in the future for a child, we can begin to imbed great reading practices into their daily lives.
Children at this age love to play, and they need to know that reading is also a way of having fun. Begin by putting their books next to or in with their toys. Separating books only gives a child the idea that reading should be done at certain times. Having books in with their toys, allows a child to pick them up, touch them, and interact with them on their own terms. Of course, lap reading and a good night story every evening is still encouraged because this will model what reading looks like, sounds like, and feels like.
Here are some ways you can begin or continue to foster the love of reading in a toddler.
* Choose books with bright illustrations.
* Wordless books are great because you create the story and it can be different every time you read it.
* Books that have flaps, slides, turns and windows are great for those curious toddlers.
* Point to the words while reading. (This will help with the fundamentals of reading.)
* Pick books that have one or two words on a page. The fewer the better.
* It's okay for a child to memorize the words in a book. (It is the first step to reading!)
Remember that a toddler uses all 5 of their senses when learning, so choose books that allows them to interact with it. Asking your toddler to point to certain pictures or make sounds like the animals in the story will begin to activate their minds and engage them in the reading. Don't forget to ask your child questions about the characters or to make predictions about the story. Even if they don't answer you back, developing that dialogue about books will get them excited and looking forward to it! Soon they will be turning the pages on their own, making the sounds, and saying some of the words without you even asking them!
Question:
Do you have a book reading routine with your toddler? If so, what is it?
Children at this age love to play, and they need to know that reading is also a way of having fun. Begin by putting their books next to or in with their toys. Separating books only gives a child the idea that reading should be done at certain times. Having books in with their toys, allows a child to pick them up, touch them, and interact with them on their own terms. Of course, lap reading and a good night story every evening is still encouraged because this will model what reading looks like, sounds like, and feels like.
Here are some ways you can begin or continue to foster the love of reading in a toddler.
* Choose books with bright illustrations.
* Wordless books are great because you create the story and it can be different every time you read it.
* Books that have flaps, slides, turns and windows are great for those curious toddlers.
* Point to the words while reading. (This will help with the fundamentals of reading.)
* Pick books that have one or two words on a page. The fewer the better.
* It's okay for a child to memorize the words in a book. (It is the first step to reading!)
Remember that a toddler uses all 5 of their senses when learning, so choose books that allows them to interact with it. Asking your toddler to point to certain pictures or make sounds like the animals in the story will begin to activate their minds and engage them in the reading. Don't forget to ask your child questions about the characters or to make predictions about the story. Even if they don't answer you back, developing that dialogue about books will get them excited and looking forward to it! Soon they will be turning the pages on their own, making the sounds, and saying some of the words without you even asking them!
Question:
Do you have a book reading routine with your toddler? If so, what is it?
Very good article. Reading is so important for children. We encourage reading every morning with our 2 year old and we have done so since our son was two. he now asks to read books and we all enjoy it. His vocabulary is incredible, he speaks clearly and very advanced. We are from the UK but Julia Donaldson books are fantastic.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comment. I am unfamiliar with the author Julia Donaldson, are there any titles that you would recommend? I am going to look into getting a few for my daughter. Some of my daughter's favorite authors are Mary Pope Osborne, Beverly Clearly, and Barbara Park. It is great to hear that reading is an everyday occurrence in your home. Keep up the great work!
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