A while ago, I posted a guide on “How to read to your Baby“.
If you have a very active toddler (like I do) and you think there is NO WAY my toddler is going to sit down and listen to me read, try these simple steps to start a reading session:
1. Let your toddler choose the books. Start with what interests your toddler the most. Is it dinosaurs, trucks, trains, cars, fairies, Barbie??? Even if it’s Barney, Ben 10 or Ultraman, then so be it.
Bring your toddler to the children’s section of the bookstore (or library) and let him or her choose a selection of books. If you intend to buy or borrow a few books, then say,
“Ok, you can take home 3 books. Here are 5 books. Which 3 do you want?”
This way, you can avoid a screaming tantrum of “I WANT ALL THE BOOKS!!!” because you’ve given the toddler the freedom of choice. If it’s only ONE book you’re allowing, then let him choose from a selection of 3 books.
Choosing only 1 out of 5 books is a bit tough…
2. Gently guide smart choices. Now, sometimes, your toddler may have chosen a book which is not suitable for his age e.g. too “busy” pictures, too few pictures, too many words, too many pages that you know he’ll NEVER sit down to listen to.
When that happens, don’t say,
“No, that’s a lousy book” or “No, you won’t read that book. Put it back!”
Remember, you need to be sensitive to your toddler’s growing ego and sense of individuality. Comments like the above is sure to make your toddler WANT the book and we may end up with a poor reading session…
Try:
“Let Mummy look at the book. What’s the book about? Oh…this book has only one photo. See? No more trains in the book.”
Then, do a subtle promotional spin on the more suitable book:
“Wow…look at THIS book! So many trains…oh, what’s happening to this train here? Is the train happy or sad? Let’s turn the next page and see if there’s another train.”
Getting excited over a book will also get your toddler excited over it too. Be careful not to get TOO excited or your toddler will grow suspicious and reject the book Mummy’s so happy about altogether 
3. Get your toddler involved in the process. If you need to pay for the book or scan it at the library counter, let your toddler join in the fun.
Give simple explanations of what the librarian etc is doing for HIS book. The toddler loves a sense of ownership because it makes him or her feel really BIG.
4. Put it in a special place. If you’re worried about the toddler tearing up the book etc, explain to him or her briefly that it’s HIS or HER special book. You can also tell when you’ll read the book i.e. after dinner, after bath etc.
5. Settle into a comfy spot. The bed or the couch is our favourite spots to read a book together. If it’s a new book, I’ll spark his interest by asking questions like the above i.e. “What’s happening?”.
Lucas will sit next to me but when things get exciting, he’ll climb onto my lap and stay there. He’ll do the same with Hubby too but my favourite is seeing both their heads locked together when Hubby reads lying down.
Ensure that you have good lighting or you’ll have premature short-sightedness! While reading, make sure that no shadows fall on the pages…
6. Different strokes for different folks. When I read to Lucas, I’ll vary the tone of my voice according to the mood of the story.
if a train is going fast, then I’ll quickly read “Faster and faster…”
if a train is climbing a hill, then I’ll drag out the sentence, “As hard as he tried, Siiiiiiiir Haaaaandel couldn’t cliiiiiiiiiimb the hill because the coaches had…” (my voice also shows that I’m ’struggling’ up the hill).
I’ll also try to imitate the exact sound of the words e.g. “Peep! Peep!” (whistle), “Screeeeech!!! (brakes), “Yawn…” (do a real yawn)
I know some parents even do a bit of drama but I don’t because I don’t want Lucas to expect a “show” each time we read a book!
Reading is what makes the written word come alive – you don’t have to become another TV
At first, Hubby didn’t feel like hamming it up like I do but soon, he developed his own style of reading which Lucas likes anyway. I think it’s great because Hubby emphasizes different sections from me and Lucas benefits from different views of the same story…
Ready to read with your toddler? Remember, choose books with simple illustrations with loads of action in them. Also, not more than 4 sentences per page!
In your first session, you may not finish the entire book – don’t worry. Try again the next night. Or try another book. Try not to get frustrated if your toddler doesn’t want to finish the book. Rome wasn’t built in a day!
Remember…reading should be a fun time to get close with Mummy or Daddy. Keep it light and pleasant
Check out the books for babies, toddlers and preschoolers I’ve reviewed for an idea of suitable reads.
Good luck and do let me know how your reading sessions turn out
I tried out the Leapfrog Phonics Writing Desk recently at the shopping center.
