The why and how of cultivating lifelong love for reading in toddlers

Reading and an interest for books need to begin quite early in your child’s life. As parents we are so focussed on the food that our toddler eats, ignorant of the fact that just as the body is developing the brain too is developing and early literacy plays a pivotal role in a child’s cognitive, creative, emotional, and social development. We spoke to Sibi Fakih, Lead Curriculum Development, Kangaroo Kids International Pre-school, and she says, “As a parent you just need to dedicate 20 minutes a day to inculcate joy of reading in your child. All you need to do is find a time and place that is mutually agreeable to your child and you.” Here Sibi Fakih shares a few tried and tested ways that can set you and your child on the path of early reading:

• Choosing the right time to read: Choose a time to read for your child when they are in a calm mode. It can be the bedtime, it can be a time after they have had high energy play, bathed and are calming down. It can be their bath time, when they are relaxed in their bath or strapped in their high stool while having food. Reading has to be a pleasurable activity for your child than a forced one. Do it at a time, when your child is ready for it, not when you have to discipline them for it.

• Make this time special: Cosy in with your child for the reading time. Get into their bed and blanket with a book and sit side by side for reading. Put the blanket over your head and use a torch to point out each word or picture that you are reading to them. Use the tepee, it avoids distractions and keeps you and your child close to each other. If your child associates, warmth, comfort and joy with reading. They will eventually transfer this feeling to the act of reading in the future.

• Create a special environment: Have a dedicated reading nook or corner that is inviting and comfortable. Incorporate elements like comfortable seating, soft lighting, and colourful decorations so that the corner is something that your child loves to go to. Eventually every time your child would want you to read, they will settle themselves with their favourite book and wait for you to come join them.

• Explore different types of reading: You can read with your child, side by side or read aloud to them. Both exposes them to new vocabulary words, enhances listening skills and slowly works on their imaginations as well as emotions too. Read books with different writing styles for e.g. some that narrate, some that rhyme, some which questions, some which encourages the child to open flaps or point out in the book or make predictions or phrases that needs to be repeated or have actions to be followed. Interactive reading engages the toddlers and develops critical skills. Change tone, modulate voice and use gestures, and keep them enthralled.

• Choosing the right books: When choosing books, be mindful of their age-appropriateness to ensure your child continue to remain engaged and interested. Pick up board books with variety like those with bright and bold illustrations, pop-up books, audio books, touch-and-feel books, read aloud, interactive books, rhyme and poetry books. When it comes to content pick books that are animal based, funny, short and have repetitions. Learning books with textured alphabets and numbers, naming books with large pictures of animals, birds and objects and as they grow up move on to the activity books, where they can match, circle, use stickers and colour.

• Make books accessible to kids: Make books easily accessible to your children, don’t keep them locked away in cupboards they cannot reach. By placing books in easily reachable locations such as low shelves or in baskets, you encourage children to pick them up when they are bored and take up reading. Regularly rotating book collections is another tactic that comes handy in piquing interest and curiosity.

• Be a reading role model to children: If you read, your children will also read. By reading in the presence of your children, such as during leisure time or before bedtime, you demonstrate the joy and value of books. This not only creates a positive association with reading but also encourages toddlers to imitate and develop their own interest in books. When they see you reading, they will believe that reading is a fun activity that they must aspire to do.

• Leverage technology to make reading more fun: Acknowledge the role of technology in children’s lives and use educational apps, e-books, audio books and interactive reading platforms to supplement traditional reading experiences. These digital resources can enhance engagement and make the reading process more interactive and enjoyable for toddlers. But make sure, no matter how busy you are, usage of technology happens under your supervision and there is moderate use of screen time.