Teaching Toddlers to Read | 5 Super Tips to Use When Reading to a Toddler
Want to know the first step to take when teaching toddlers to read that you can start today? Here is the first thing you must do and 5 super tips to use when reading to a toddler.
Thinking about teaching a toddler to read and building early reading skills at a young age can seem like a completely overwhelming and daunting task! As an educator and parent myself, I know what this can feel like because you want the very best for your child right from the start.
Here you are going to learn some essential tips to use when reading to a toddler and building their love of reading. Immediately after learning these tips, you will feel prepared and ready with first steps to try out when teaching your toddler to read and helping to grow a lifelong little reader!
This post is about the first steps you can take when teaching toddlers to read and tips you can start using today.
Teaching Toddlers to Read: The First Step + 5 Super Tips to Try Today
First, rest assured knowing that you are probably taking the first step already by simply reading to your toddler. Now, to take this reading a step further, all you need to do is be more intentional while you read. I know firsthand how challenging it can be to get your toddler to sit still while you are also trying to introduce important reading skills. These tips below should help you to wrangle your toddler in while helping to build their reading skills.
1. Read Together and Model Your Reading
Parents and caretakers are truly a child’s first teacher. By taking time each day to read together you can show your child how to be a good reader. A child can gain so much from just listening to a fluent reader.
Giving children experiences each day with different types of books and modeling for them what good readers do increases your child’s concepts of print, builds vocabulary, introduces reading fluency, fosters a love of reading and so much more!
When reading together try modeling or pointing out the following:
- Opening and closing the book correctly (holding it the correct way up) and practice turning the pages together
- Point out the title
- Model reading from left to right- pointing at each word as you read
- Identify pictures within the illustrations that go with the words you read on the page
- Read with expression
- Bring attention to familiar words
2. Read Like You Have a Big Audience
Capturing and keeping your child’s attention can be no easy task! Toddlers need and love to be active, so why not make it work even when they need a little time to move?
Simply find a comfy spot at their level to sit and read. I like to pretend that I’m back in my classroom reading to a whole group of students holding the book outward in my hand as if a whole group of students could see the book. At times, my toddler needs to get up and move around and I let her go and just keep on reading. Most of the time she runs right back and engages in the story again. In the time while she is running away, she is still listening to the story and is still gaining all of the benefits of being read to auditorily. Most of the time she wants to run right back because… fear of missing out can truly be a real thing!
Reading with expression is another great way to hold your toddlers attention. Don’t hold back and feel free to add in those silly voices and sounds to bring the pages to life! Have so much reading that they can’t resist stopping to listen.
3. Schedule in Reading Time
Find a special time when you can add in reading a book to your child each day. Make it something for you both to look forward to and can routinely count on! Choose a time that you feel works best and can be a special time that is not rushed.
I have found after nap time or before bed to be great ways to fit in reading books together. These are times when we are less active, more sleepy and it can be easier to pay attention to and enjoy a book.
4. Get Comfy and Grab a Snack
When reading to my toddler, I have found grabbing a comfy pillow or cozy blanket as we read helps with engagement and enjoyment in the book. Also, allowing my toddler to enjoy a snack while I read helps to keep her focused back on the book without wanting to run away. Find what works best for you and make it special and fun!
5. Extend Reading Learning
To help build early reading skills while reading a book to your child you can add in some simple activities or areas to focus on. Keep it simple and have fun extending the learning!
Practice Letters and Sounds
Before reading you can go through a few alphabet flashcards and focus on a certain letter or letters to search for while you are reading. You can practice saying the name of each letter/letters and the sound that they make. Next, you can either point them out while reading the book or you can go back and read the story a second time to search for the focus letter or letters. Feel free to do this with sight words or vocabulary words as well!
Here are some alphabet flashcards that work perfectly! These flashcards come with two options, choose from real images or clipart images for each of the letters. The flashcards also have familiar and engaging pictures so little ones can practice vocabulary along with letters.
Practice Phonemic Awareness
You can practice a little phonemic awareness by choosing a simple CVC (consonant, vowel, consonant) word from within the story and sounding it out together. For example, if the word cat was within your story you could practice saying the word out loud and saying its sounds that you hear. Ex: C-A-T
Practice Building Comprehension
Another idea to start building early comprehension for after reading would be to simply go through the book together a second time through and just summarize what the story was about to your child. As you look back through the illustrations, bring a very simple awareness to the beginning, middle and end of the story or simply just discuss what the story was about.
This post was about the first steps you can take when teaching toddlers to read and tips you can start using today.
It all simply starts with you and helping your child to build and grow a love of reading and learning. It is never too early or too late when it comes to teaching toddlers to read. Keep it simple and have fun!
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