Help!!! My Toddler Isn't Interested In Books!
I was browsing through my Facebook feed last night and I saw in a group I belong to a post from a mum concerned that her 2 year old is not interested in any way in books. In fact she said that they had never read together and it was something that she was really keen to get started and wanted some advice about how to go about it.
It got me thinking that she probably isn't alone in this worry. So what do you do if your toddler is not interested in books?
Here are some of my thoughts, but feel free to add your own ideas/experiences in the comments below.
1. Make it special
Lots of families use bedtime as a way of introducing books and it's an ideal starting point because bedtime is all about cosiness. Snuggle up, cuddle and pick a favourite to share. Make the emphasis about being cosy together rather than what you are reading. Bedtime lends itself well to this but don't let it limit you find a time in your day when snuggles are needed. Maybe it could be naptime, or reconnecting after you've been to work...whatever suits.
2. Let them choose
Obviously a shelf full of books can be a tad overwhelming for a little one so you might want to limit it to a few suggested titles. This gives them the control that so many toddlers crave. Tell them what a good choice and how excited you are to share it (even if you have already read it a billion and one times!).
3. Provide a variety of text types
This doesn't have to be costly. Visit your library to mix it up a bit. Remember children (particularly younger ones) find the weirdest things fascinating. Leaflets, newspapers, non-fiction books, posters etc as well as regular story books are all perfectly fine to share with them. Interactive books with flaps, pop-ups or feely textures are always a hit with early readers.
4. You don't have to read books in a conventional way
Don't expect to be able to share a whole story straight away. It takes a lot of time and familiarity with texts for children to get to that stage. Instead start by just sharing a few pages and pointing out things of interest and talking to them about what they can see. My little one, started his love of books with those word bank books which name different objects. We just dipped in and out and named a few things each time, but the same thing applies to regular picture books.
5. Make it fun
Don't ever try and force your child to listen to a book when they clearly aren't in the mood or don't want to - this will absolutely kill the positive reading association you want to make. When reading try to add character voices and lots of expression, this will really capture their imagination. Don't worry if you aren't a confident reader at first - I promise you, you will read the books so many times you will know them off by heart and be able to add more and more flair to your story times.
I'm sure I'll think of more tips and add later but I think that's enough to be getting started with. Let me know what you think...