Top Tips for Reading with Your Little One

Reading is one of essential skills children acquire in the early years. Through books they will learn about the world around and will be introduced to different concepts of human relationship and communication. But teaching a child to read in a world of electronic and computer games and TV shows could be a tricky task.

Talking Tots who run preschool classes with focus on increasing children’s communication and social skills share with us their tips for introducing your child to reading.

• Tell stories together and make up stories together.
  We tell stories all the time, both real and made up. Talk about your day.
• Reading is a journey of exploration for babies. Curved corners are ideal for nibbling, while flaps and textures are irresistible to little fingers.
   
• Animal stories are perfect for encouraging children to communicate before they can form words – encourage your baby to join in with animal sounds as you read the story.
   
• At a young age, reading is a visual experience, so look for books with bright, simple illustrations. Place your baby’s hands on objects as you read the words – this helps him to associate the object he sees with the spoken word.
   
• Set a good example … let your child see that you enjoy reading and looking at books.
   
• Bedtime stories are a great way to teach children that words and language are fun! Lose your inhibitions and join in with silly voices, sound effects and funny faces. Act the story out!
   
• Encourage reading everywhere when you are out and about …. read signs, shop names, posters etc…
   
• As your baby gets older, he will love “naming” objects and pointing to pictures when prompted.
   
• Toddlers are independent, so be sure to let them choose the story and take charge of turning pages.
   
• When you’re reading, pause every so often to let your child guess the next word or line. This will be easier if the book has simple language with lots of rhyme and repetition. With a little practice, your child may even learn a favourite story by heart.
   
• Look for books with rhymes. Learning about rhyming sounds is an important building block of literacy, and it helps children to guess what’s coming next. As she gets older, your toddler will love catching you out when you get the words wrong. This game helps to develop memory and attention skills, as well as boosting self-esteem.
   
• At some point, you’ll probably find yourself reading the same book every night for a month. Don’t worry – repetition is a great memory-building tool, and a familiar book can be a great comfort to a tired toddler.
   
• Younger toddlers tend to enjoy stories about everyday experiences they can relate to, but from the age of three, children begin to realise that things aren’t always what they seem. This makes it the perfect time to introduce stories with jokes and tricks – the sillier the better!
   
• Always discuss stories with your children. In the early days, this might mean asking them to point to objects on the pages. As they get older, talk about what might happen next, or whether the characters in the story were happy or brave.
   
• Read anything –comics, emails, adverts and on electronic devices.
   
• As your child nears school age, begin tracing words with your finger as you read. Ask your child to identify the sound that words start with, or words on the page that rhyme.
   
• Be positive. Praise your child for reading.
   
• Don’t make your child read for too long. Short positive bursts are more enjoyable if your child isn’t keen to read.
   
• Try to reduce distractions …turn off the TV and computers!
   

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