When Your Child Won't Sit Still: Tips for Reading with Your Active Toddler

Reading to an active little toddler requires a certain skill set. Today my post is for parents who feel like it's impossible to get their child to sit down to read for even a second. 

If your toddler is anything like mine, he's climbing on the tables and chairs, throwing balls (or sometimes less gentle objects like blocks), and coloring in places he's not supposed to. One second he wants up. The next second he wants down....and what he definitely doesn't want is to sit still. 

So reading a story together? That takes actual effort! On my part, and his. 

What can you do when your toddler is more interested in climbing the coffee table and throwing books, than reading them on your lap?

Here are my best tips for reading with that busy toddler that I have found to work well. Follow these suggestions and I bet you'll begin to connect in ways that make reading more enjoyable for the both of you.

•  Do an activity or craft before you read together to spark interest in the story. Make connections from your activity while you are reading for additional learning and repetition of concepts. 

• Make reading aloud a more fun experience. Your child doesn't want to sit still? Then don't! Act out the story, use puppets, sing the words, or play games while you read. The bonus of this technique is that your toddler will be motivated to read again.

• Let your child take the lead. Allow him to select a book that is interesting to him. If he seems more interested in the pictures than listening to the story, take a picture walk through the book instead of reading the words.

• Take advantage of meal times when your child is likely to be strapped in his high chair. Sneak in a story before, during, or after his meal. Reading while eating is better than flipping on that TV!

• Read before bed when your toddler is likely to be “played out”. There is evidence to show that bedtime routines that include stories aid in language development.

• Did your little one “read” a book all by himself? Initiate reading on his own? Recognize a job well done. Give your child praise when appropriate which will help him associate accomplishment with the act of reading. 

• Select books that connect to something going on in your life at the time. For example, if you are taking a vacation to the beach, read books about the ocean or sea animals. If the story is relevant, he'll more likely be interested in it.

• Get rid of the idea of what a read aloud "should" look like. It's wonderful if your child sits in your lap while you read like you see in all of your Pinterest pins. Life isn't always ideal though. Read aloud while your child is playing. Even if it seems like he's not listening, he might be more than you think. He might even surprise you and wander over into your lap as you read, creating that picture perfect moment.

• Read the same story over and over. If your toddler has a favorite book that he actually CAN sit still to listen to 100 times in a row - that's OK! Children learn through repetition. In this post, I share ways to keep the learning going, even when it's the 100th read through!

There will be good days, there will be bad days but aim for 20 minutes EACH DAY. 

You will be so delighted you put forth the effort!

10 Literacy Themed New Year's Resolutions to Help in Raising a Reader at an Early Age

Happy 2013!

Here are 10 suggestions for literacy themed New Year's resolutions for those of you trying to raise a reader at an early age!

• Read to your child EVERYDAY (aim for 20 minutes if you can) - visit my How To Series on reading aloud for some suggestions on learning during read alouds.

• Model good reading behaviors and habits.

          Research shows that children read more when they see others reading. So turn off the TV and cell phone and pick up a newspaper, magazine, or your favorite novel.
         

• Make reading with your child fun.

          Reading to or with your child doesn't have to be a drag or feel like a chore. Make it fun for the both of you, and you'll be more likely to keep it up. Let your child pick out books that he loves, make up a book-related game, even read a comic book or two. Don't be afraid to really "get into" the story and make it come alive!

• Create a well-rounded home library for your child.

          Different books and stories teach different things. Alphabet books are great for teaching letter knowledge, picture books are fabulous for aiding in reading comprehension, and nursery rhymes have been shown to increase a child's phonemic awareness, a skill that aids in learning to read. So don't fall into the trap of owning ONLY picture books! Make it a goal to expose your child to a wide variety of books that will help him gain important skills. {Click the link above to read more on how to do this in your home}

• Set aside some time each week to visit your local library - make it a ritual and stick to it!

          By taking your young child to the library each week - you are demonstrating that literacy is an important part of life. You are also giving your child essential access to a wide variety of books. Check out this previous post on the importance of a library ritual for more information.

• Encourage your child to play with books - make books accessible for play by using bins throughout your home.

          You may have a toy box in your home, but make it a goal this year to have lots of book boxes or bins in most of the rooms in your home. Even the bathroom needs to have books!

• Create a "print-rich" environment in your home.

          One of the simplest things you can do to encourage literacy at home is to make sure you have a print-rich environment. Read this post here for detailed information on how to go about this process.

• Set a reading goal.

          Try to set a goal of reading X number of books before the end of the week, month, year - you name it. We are trying to read 1,000 different books! We have been keeping a book log, and it has been a fun way to get baby bookworm involved in the process. In fact, the last time we were at our library she exclaimed to the librarian, "I've read 200 books!"

• Use books as inspiration (for cooking, crafting, outings - you name it).

          The web is full of creative book and learning ideas.  The Educators' Spin on It is one of my favorite blogs to find book-activity pairings. {You can find a bunch here though too!}

• Create or join a children's book club in your neighborhood, or participate in one online.

          With support, you are more likely to make a real commitment to reading with your child. Click here to visit one popular online virtual book club for young kids.

Linking to The Sunday Showcase