Early Literacy
Toddlers: Tips and Activities To Encourage Reading Readiness

• Activity Sheet: Vocabulary
  Tips for parents on helping toddlers develop vocabulary skills.
• Activity Sheet: Narrative
  Tips for parents on helping toddlers develop narrative skills.
• Read aloud to your child every day, or at least three times a week.
• Choose books with simple plots and predictable endings.
• Talk about the characters in the stories and how they interact. Ask questions of your child about the story. Who is the favorite character in the story? Look at the illustrations, and ask specific questions like: “What is the dog doing here?" What color is the umbrella?"
• Take frequent trips to the library. Read to your child in the library as well as at home. Have books available everywhere in the house and in the car.
• Snuggle with your child using a favorite blanket or toy as you read. How you read to your toddler is as important as what you read to them.
• Look for books that are interesting to your child, such as trains or animals.
• Read books with pop-ups, flaps or moveable parts and ones with sensory appeal-textures, smells, and sounds. Toddlers also enjoy books that include rhyming text and illustrated songs.
• Read the same stories over and over again. Children love repetition.
• Listen when your child talks about the story and use plenty of praise and encouragement.
• Choose books that include characters from different cultures and backgrounds.
• Explain to you child the things you are doing as you are doing them (for example, “Look! I’m answering the phone – let’s see who it is!”). The more you talk with your child, the richer your child's vocabulary will be.
• Read, point out, and name letters when reading alphabet books, signs, or labels. Point out letters on food boxes, toys, and other objects around the house.
• Read aloud signs, labels, and menus to your child and where there are only a few words, point to them as you read them. A child who is more comfortable with printed words will feel more comfortable with books and will know that printed words are useful.