LITTLE SPEECH LIFE

Have you tried reading with your toddler and they immediately leave your lap? Toddlers are explorers and their attention span may be minimal at this time. Offering choices during shared book reading and being flexible with the process is important. Here are some tips on how to read with your little one that keep you both entertained! 

Shed expectations!

• Your little one is busy and that is okay and developmentally appropriate at this time. They may not want to sit for long , so allow them to move! Leave behind the expectation to sit down in a chair with you to read and sit on the floor with them or near them. A good option may be to pick a room in which you can both freely move but still be in close proximity to each other so they can hear you while you read the book but they can play in their clothes drawer, or toy box, or with the pack of diapers! 🤪
• They may want to flip every page or point to every item on the page and that is OKAY! Allow them to do so! Don’t worry about reading the story and let them flip the book upside down, flip back and forth through pages, go to their favorite page over and over again, point to the ball a thousand times. These are all pre-reading skills and demonstrate print awareness which are things we need before reading for comprehension later on! 

Give them choices!

• Allowing toddlers small choices in which there truly is no wrong answer is very helpful for both you and for them. They feel successful and autonomous in these moments and by giving choices in which the goal still gets met you both win. Start with “let’s read a book!” while pointing to the book shelf or book box; with lots of smiles and excitement! this is an inviting declarative (more info on declarative vs imperative) statement that suggests it as a fun activity versus “go get a book” which is more demanding and doesn’t suggest any wiggle room; the way we talk matters! 
• Once they bring you a book, “read” whatever they bring you! Interact with it in some way! Flip it, fold it, point to items, read it as they meander! Sitting on the floor is helpful in that you are at their level,  and they can move easily  in and out of your lap! 

Read with expression! 

• It’s important to remember any teachers or professors that read aloud and you can better remember your daydreams in that moment than the content being read; make it interesting! Read as if your life depended on it. Read with intonation and gusto! Sound effects are a must and don’t miss any exclamation marks! Act out the book if it allows! Show big surprise and expression when they lift the flap. Add in your own silly phrases that make sense with the pictures! Sing it as a song instead! The opportunities are endless. Truly channel your inner Blippi and Ms. Rachel! make your toddler want to choose another book just out of curiosity as to how you’ll read it! 

Be okay with repetition! 

• Reading the same book over and over again can be far less enticing to us than to our little one BUT they thrive on repetition, it is how they learn. Doing things over and over again, in different ways, this way and that is their whole world. So, read brown bear brown bear a milllion times! However, tap into their creative mind and think about how you can expand on that same book. Similar to the point above, expression! Read it quiet in a whisper, read it low like a bear, read it squeaky like a mouse, belt it like a king, sing it, dance while you read it, all will definitely keep you both entertained! Again, point to the pictures instead! Add different adjectives such as scary bear, big bear, jumping frog, slimy frog. Be creative in the ways you can change things up so that you both enjoy the repetition! 

Add context through play! 

• Last but certainly not least, pair books with similar toys! 
• Have a Thomas the train book and a play train set? Perfect! Read the book and then play with the trains! Have a farm and animals set? Perfect! Read barnyard dance while you play with the animals. Better yet, role play the book with the toys!Adding context solidifies the ideas in the book and makes them come to life!

In any of these scenarios, you both are having a great time and gaining the benefits of reading. It doesn’t have to look a certain way! Pick the way that works best for your child and be flexible in the process! All of these scenarios build vocabulary, basic concepts, and best of all connection! You both are learning and having fun! 

If your child is a Gestalt Language Processor, reading may look slightly different and that is okay! Coming soon is a post about great books for Gestalt Language Processors; stay tuned!