Parent Child Reading Tips
This page has some useful parent child reading tips to ease your toddler into reading for when he is older. Because reading is one of the greatest gifts we can give our kids. As well as the obvious advantages to do with concentration, school grades and thinking skills, a good book is just plain enjoyable. But a child needs to be shown just how fun they are. Parent child reading is also important one-to-one time, when you can relax together and have a cuddle. Between the ages of 2 and 3, my son was - on the surface - not interested in books. With an attention span shorter than my-bitten-down-to-the-quick nails , reading lasted about as long as it takes me to spell the word itself. The librarians would groan when they saw us coming! But I persevered, and I now have a 3-year-old bookworm on my hands. Follow my tips below and you too will have to start rationing bedtime stories. General TipsThe single most important thing is to MAKE IT FUN. Your toddler must see reading as enjoyable.Her definition of 'reading' might differ dramatically to yours, but at this stage it really doesn't matter. Don't underestimate the positive effect you are having on your child by offering to read a book with her. Parent child reading at this age is sometimes anything but quiet and thoughtful. Ignore all these negatives - you are getting your toddler into a habit to last a lifetime. Join a library. As well as the obvious money-saving advantages, many libraries have children's story sessions - great if you have a youngster able to sit still long enough to listen. If not, don't force these sessions on your child. Let your toddler see you reading. Children learn by copying their parents (just wait til they start speaking!) so read for pleasure while he's playing with Daddy or his building blocks. No need for War and Peace - I have a friend who used to read Jackie Collins novels to her newborn! What Should I Read To My Toddler?Look at a wide variety of books. Don't restrict your son to monster trucks and your daughter to princess stories. Keep changing them, not only to stimulate their little minds, but to find out what they do like. It's important to...Balance new topics with their favourite subjects. Parent child reading should be fun for your little one, and we all get more pleasure from exploring about our interests. If your son is tractor mad, why not indulge him? Mine had a stage where big machines books were all he wanted. I made sure I offered him other types of books, but I always let him choose.
When You Are Reading With Your ChildDon't worry if he cannot concentrate on a book for any length of time. Lack of concentration is the hallmark of toddlerhood, but as your child develops, so will his ability to sit and look at a book.If she cannot concentrate, ditch reading the story and read the pictures. Get your child to repeat words related to what she sees. Ask her to point to something, or name things she sees. (If thinking of the name is too hard, give her a choice: "Is that a dog or a CAT?")
Encourage him to turn the pages. At one point, turning the pages - and fast!- was all my son wanted to do. We could have got through Crime and Punishment in about 5 minutes flat! Don't get frustrated - this is just a stage. Instead, praise him for being so clever. There is no point in making parent child reading sessions a source of stress. Return from Parent child reading to Toddler Reading Books |
