Getting more time in for reading doesn’t have to hard:
- Begin reading to your child during pregnancy to get into the habit
- Make reading a normal part of your child’s day by choosing a consistent time (i.e. after breakfast, before naptime or bedtime, etc.)
- Have books available: in the car, diaper bag, bedroom… how about waterproof books for tub time?!
- Try audio books in the car or before bedtime
However, if reading together does seem hard:
- Indulge re-reads if your child only wants to read a favorite book over and over. Alternately, ask your child to “read” the book to you with the pictures.
- Try active books: with flaps, pop-ups, prompts you can act out, or books you can sing.
- If books aren’t working right now, come back to it later in the day or try again tomorrow.
- Kids aren’t always active listeners – sometimes they listen better when they can play as you read or if they can turn the pages to stay involved.
P.S. Remember that playing, talking, and singing also support literacy.