How to Read to a Toddler

Wishing that reading to little ones were a little easier?

This has probably happened to you before: The toddler you're sitting for waddles over to you with a book in hand, excitedly thrusts it into your lap and turns to her favorite page. You start reading in your animated reading voice, but to no avail -- the child quickly loses interest and slips away to play with her dolls within a few short minutes. So much for that!

Trying to read to a toddler can be a little frustrating, especially knowing how important it is to read to children. So here are a few quick tips to help you keep a toddler's interest while reading.

READ AT THE RIGHT TIME

There's no sense reading to a child as soon as you step foot in the house, when her excitement is heightened and things haven't settled down. Just before bedtime or and afternoon nap is a much better time to read to a toddler because she's a little calmer and in a mindset that is free from daytime distractions.

READ A RHYMING BOOK

Repetitive books and books that rhyme have the rhythm and entertainment factor that other books don't. Not to mention toddlers will be more engaged if they know they can try to anticipate what's coming next. You can also clap to the rhythm of the rhymes to keep her even more engaged and really feeling the beat.

TAKE YOUR TIME

You might not find much interest in an illustration of a duck at a pond, but the child might be fascinated by the vibrancy of the lush greens and the subtlety of the tiny frog hiding in the corner. So if she wants to linger on a certain page for much longer than your patience would like, but don't discourage her intrigue.

LEARN TO LOVE LAP TIME

Have the toddler sit in your lap while you read to her. Not only does this help her feel safer and more relaxed, it also encourages her to give her undivided attention to the book in front of her and to participate more in the reading.

POINT AT PAGES

Instead of just reading the book and flipping through the pages, point to things that you think might capture the toddler's attention as you read. Colors, shapes, objects, characters -- aside from simply keeping her attention, pointing these things out will help the toddler understand that the written words represent things/ideas, which will do wonders for her language skills.

ASK QUESTIONS

In addition to pointing to things on the pages, ask your child questions about the book, story or images to help her think about what's being read. "How many people can you count on this page?" "What do you think happened to the orange ball?"

SIDE WITH SUBSTITUTIONS

Substituting the child's name for the main character's is another fun way to keep the toddler engaged. It's a silly little trick, but it always tickles kids to imagine these stories happening to them and they become more invested in the story as a result.

DON'T FORCE THE FOCUSING

It might seem a little counterintuitive to give a toddler a toy while you read to her as a way to keep her attention on the book, but some toddlers sit still better when they have their favorite toy or while they're coloring during the reading. That's completely fine! Don't assume she's not listening just because she's not looking at the pages.

DON'T BANISH THE BOOK

Sometimes, even when you try all these techniques, the toddler may still decide it's NOT time to sit down and read. Even if she decides that it's time to run circles in the kitchen instead of finishing the book, keep the book out and in plain view. The toddler may want to come back to it in a few minutes and you can pick up right where you left off!