Tips for Reading Aloud With Toddlers

Read aloud so toddlers can:

Continue to associate reading with warm, pleasant feelings

Consider books fun and valuable play materials

Expand their listening skills

Build their vocabularies with words they understand and can use

Link pictures and stories in books to the real world

Begin creating pictures in their minds while listening to stories

Choose books toddlers enjoy, including stories with:

Brief, simple plots and only a few words per page

Rhymes and predictable words they can remember

Characters handling typical emotions, feelings, and experiences

Above-level words in order build their vocabulary with new words and ideas

Daily routines such as using the toilet, washing hands, and brushing teeth.

Concepts such as size, color, shape, and time

While reading aloud:

Read the same books again and again, if asked

Read slowly so your toddler can make sense of what's happening in a story

Let your toddler draw or color if he finds it easier to listen when he is busy

Vary your voice to fit the characters and plot

Repeat interesting words and phrases

Use puppets and other props related to the story

Stop often to comment, ask questions, and look closely at illustrations

Encourage your toddler to turn pages, make sounds, repeat rhymes, etc.

Talk about the pictures and point out details a toddler might miss

Talk about the book and how it relates to your toddler's real life experiences