Reading to Babies,                                 Toddlers and
Young Children
Smokey Nielsen, Early Childhood Educator

Why Read to Your Children?

Research tells us that children starting kindergarten need to know 10,000 to 12,000 words to be successful readers.  Children pick up 2,000 words just by living. In homes where parents read to their children, model reading, talk to and with their children, and play games with their children – these children develop more language. Children who are read to, talked to and played with only two minutes-a-day learn about 4,000 words by kindergarten. Children who are read to, talked to, and played with for one hour-a-day from birth learn about 10,000 words by age five. These numbers tell us that reading is the single most valuable thing you can do with your child.

What Does a Child Gain from Reading Books?

Nicole Morgan, expert teacher and author of around 80 educational books, gives us six ideas of what a child is learning from being read to.

• It gives experience with different types of language, rhythms, and sounds.
• Research shows that preschool children who are exposed to plenty of language (books and conversation) tend to do better in school.
• It teaches about many topics that wouldn’t come up in conversation.
• It is a wonderful way to bond with your child.
• It is very calming.

Even young babies benefit. The effort of focusing on pictures develops eye muscles.  Each time a baby hears a particular word, the word imprints more strongly in his brain. Our brains learn by doing. Each time your baby sees, hears, or feels anything, brain connections form. Eventually, the connections are strong enough to create a skill or a piece of knowledge.

What Kinds of Books Do You Need to Have in Your Home?

Babies need:

• Bright, bold picture books to help focusing and identification.
• Books with poems, songs and rhyming words.
• Books that are safe for babies. Board books and fabric books work well. Remember babies have to taste things to learn about them so make sure the books are safe.

Toddlers and preschoolers need:

• A variety of different types of books — traditional stories, mystery stories, everyday stories, counting, alphabet, and poetry.
• Some easier books with a just a few words so that your child can begin to “read” independently, by remembering a story she has heard often.
• Books which your child really likes for whatever reason
  
  
  

How to Read

Cuddling is important! Curl your child next to you or on your lap while you read, building memories of warmth and closeness that you both will cherish.
Make sure your child can see the book the right way up as you read.

For babies and toddlers up to 2 years:

Don’t expect a young child to sit still while you read. She may be more interested in flipping pages or putting the book in her mouth. A toddler may want to climb on the chair you are sitting on or run around the room. Keep story time short.

• Point at pictures and say or ask names of things.
• Use a different voice for different characters.
• Spend time taking about the pictures before turning the page.
• Say a name and have your child point to the item.
• Give praise when your child can point to the item or answer a question about the story.
• Read rhyming books in a slow sing-song voice.
• Keep some books in your child’s crib so they can find them when they wake up.

For two to four-year-olds:

• Give your child time to look at the pictures before you begin reading.
• Ask, “Where’s the…?” “What’s that called?” “What’s she doing?”
• Follow the text with your finger as you read. Your child is training his eyes to go from left to right for reading later.
• Relate the pictures and stories in a book to your child’s life. If you have a dog, read a story about a dog and then compare the two dogs. “The dog in the book is brown, what color is our dog?”
• Let your child set the pace for reading. Follow his lead. If he asks a question see it as an opportunity to learn rather than as an interruption.

For four year olds and over:

• Follow the ideas for two through 4-year-olds.
• Ask you child if she can remember the order of events in the story.
• Ask open ended questions. “What do you think the little dog will do next?” “Why is the little girl so sad?”
• Add excitement to reading by acting out nursery rhymes and fairy tales.
• Sing the alphabet while reading an alphabet book.
• Count while pointing to objects in number books.

Remember to read every day! Make it a priority. Let your child see you reading the paper, a magazine, or a book. Model that reading is an important part of daily life.

Additional Resources:

www.childliteracy.com/babies.html

www.video.about.com/childrensbooks/Reading.htm

www.littleonesreadingresource.com/childrens-stories.html

www.babyzone.com (click on 'Toddler', then 'Development')