Reading is one of the best ways to increase your toddler’s language skills, vocabulary, and literacy. But the benefits of reading to your child go beyond academic intelligence, you also develop a sweet emotional bond through reading!
This is why a children’s podcast, audiobook, or television series can’t replace reading.
Babies can make no sense of stories without a visual context, but even the American Academy of Pediatrics states babies under two shouldn’t watch television. There’s a reason babies are so fascinated by another’s facial expressions, inflection, and mouth. Babies will frequently reach to touch your mouth or neck while you’re talking to understand how to move their lips and tongue to form words.
Toddlers and young children may understand basic stories from an audiobook or television show, but there is no emotional bonding, and oftentimes, there can be a technology “crash” after turning it off that doesn’t happen with reading.
Build a Library
Babies and children love to have books read over and over again. This is because children find comfort in the predictability of the story. The repetition also helps them learn new words (think of all the repetition you need to learn a second language!) and encode new information.
While your local library is an excellent resource, you eventually have to return your favorite books. Begin building a little library of special, quality books for your toddler that you don’t mind reading time and again. Here are just a few to get you started.
17 Classic Toddler Books
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
- Little Blue Truck
- Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt
- The Runaway Bunny
- Goodnight Moon
- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
- The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton
- Blue Hat Green Hat by Sandra Boynton
- Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats
- The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
- We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
- Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin
- Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
- Corduroy by Don Freeman
- Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
- From Head to Toe by Eric Carle
How Do I Start a Habit of Reading With My Toddler?
Hopefully, you are inspired to read to your child, but maybe you’re overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. Luckily, reading to your child is easy!
First, set reasonable expectations based on your child’s age and how much time you have. Babies won’t sit for long periods, and toddlers who aren’t used to reading stories may not sit for a long time, either. Start small by reading one short book and aim for just a few minutes of reading a day. Slowly add in one or two more stories, then add in longer stories.
Before you know it, both you and your child will enjoy reading together!
Crestwood Preschool Academy Values Reading
At Crestwood Preschool Academy, we understand how important it is to read to babies and children. That’s why we prioritize read-aloud time in our daily routine. While you should still read with your child, you can rest assured that your child is listening to quality stories and experiencing all the benefits of early-age literacy.