There’s no denying the benefit of books and story time, particularly during those early toddler years. As a speech-language pathologist, parents often ask for tips on how to make the most out of books and story time with their littles. Here are my three favorite tips for ensuring that your toddler gets the most out of story time:
- Forget about the story!
I know, I know… This sounds a little counterintuitive. But, trust me here! Instead of relying on the text in the story you are reading, place an emphasis on the pictures. Use the pictures to make up your own story. Encourage your toddler to help you identify pictures on each page. By forgetting about the actual storyline, it allows you to change the story every time you read it. This keeps the same book novel and can help to keep your toddler engaged.
- Keep it interactive.
Encourage your toddler to participate during every story time! Whether it be by asking your child to identify pictures, label pictures, or tell you what noise a certain animal or object makes, keep your child participating. Try to avoid asking your toddler to identify letters, this is a pre-academic skill that they will target in preschool. Instead, books with a lot repetition are fabulous because they encourage participation and interaction. Fill-in-the-blank activities are a great language strategy when reading books with a lot of repetition (i.e. “Brown bear, brown bear, what do you _____?” – encourage your child to fill-in-the-blank!).
- Question a little, not a lot.
On the same token, acknowledge that too many questions during story time could keep your toddler from enjoying the experience. Keep your little one engaged by asking questions, but don’t push too much. Story time should always be an enjoyable activity for both you and your toddler!
Happy reading!
Julie Euyoque MA CCC-SLP