Nightly reading is a great way to spend quality time with your child while also supporting their speech and language development. Children can benefit from being read to starting from just a couple of months old. Developing a love for reading starts with early introductions to reading material, even if it just includes handling books or playing with them.
Pre-literacy skills start with a child learning how to orient a book, turn the pages from left to right, and point out pictures in a story. As a child grows, they will be able to become a more active participant in these reading sessions by turning pages, answering questions, asking questions, anticipating what will happen next in the story, describing what they see, and choosing what stories they want to read.
Aim to read with your child for at least 15 minutes per day to help it become a natural part of your routine and help them develop a lifelong love of reading.
Here are some things you can do during your reading time for children from ages 1-5:
Ages 1-2:
- Let your child turn the book pages (Children at this age often will turn pages before their adult is finished reading that page. This is okay! They are benefiting from exposure, even if the story is not being read in whole).
- Read the same books over and over. Kids love repetition and familiar phrases.
- Point to pictures and name them. Children can quadruple the number of words they know at this age. Books introduce vocabulary that doesn’t come up every day, making this a great opportunity to expand your child’s vocabulary.
Ages 2-3:
- Set an example for your child. Children at this age imitate much of what they see their parents doing. Talk about reading in a positive and playful way and model enjoying reading for them.
- Ask simple wh- questions to keep them engaged. Ask them who, what, or where questions pertaining to the story in order to help them develop inferencing skills and encourage them to be an active participant while reading.
- Develop a routine for reading. Make reading a part of your daily routine in order to encourage consistency and allow your child to associate reading with a sense of familiarity, comfort, and love.
Ages 3-4:
- Point our rhyming words. Children are learning the alphabet and developing early phonological awareness skills at this age. Encourage them to point out familiar letters and comment on silly rhyming words.
- Take your child to the library. When kids are able to make choices about the stories they read, they are much more likely to be engaged and excited about a reading routine. It is also a great way to expose them to the variety of books out there.
Ages 4-5:
- Talk about what happens first, next, and last in books. Children are improving in their ability to produce narratives during this time. It is easier to practice retelling familiar stories in order to help them build skills required for producing their own stories and narratives throughout life.
- Run your finger along the story as you read. Your child’s literacy skills are rapidly growing at this age. They will benefit from watching how you sound out letters and decode simple words.