- Make reading together an inviting, snuggly time.
- Build a pillow fort to read in.
- Climb into the comfiest corner of the couch together.
- Let your daughter bring her favorite stuffed animals to cuddle.
- Plan a special reading time. There is no greater gift to your child than your time. Turn off all distractions like your phone or the TV and give your baby your full attention.
- Read with emotion. An infant may not know what the words you read mean, but they do understand your tone. Young babies will respond to your facial expressions and be fascinated by the feelings they feel from hearing your words.
- Choose books that you and your child will like. If a book feels boring, don’t be afraid to put it down.
- Let your son choose what you read. He’s more likely to follow along if it’s a book he picked out.
- Don’t push your child to read. Create opportunities for reading, but don’t force them. The goal is to get your daughter excited about reading, and pushing too hard can suck all the fun right out of reading together.
- Remember that very few preschoolers are actually reading yet. It’s all too easy to get caught up in comparisons between children, but the truth is that every child learns to read at a difference pace. Use this time to get them ready to learn to read by by showing them how enjoyable reading can be.
- Read AND play at the same time. Help your child pretend to be a character in a book, like a barking puppy. Use your body to act out parts of the story together – like a bird flying in the sky. You can even make up games to go with the pictures such as “I spy…”
- Use reading together as a way to calm and comfort your child. Retreating in to a book can be a nice change of pace when your child is overstimulated by an environment or conflict around them.
