Benefits of reading books to toddlers

Reading to my toddler, When I think of reading, the first thing that comes to my mind is how can I make it happen in a fun way as I don’t want to stress myself thinking about how my child will understand what I read or will my child sit still when I read.

Reading with your child can have lots of positive effects on your child’s brain development, communication skills, as well as on school performance. You can make reading a fun time, which can spark their creativity and imagination. Here I have put together some benefits of reading books to your toddler and tips for reading books to your child.

Benefits of reading books to toddlers:-

Reading books to your toddler improves their Creativity and Imagination.
When you read books with your toddler, that builds up your bonding with your child.
Reading books to your toddler will help you relax from your hectic day of work.
In long run it helps them understand complicated questions which improves their IQ level.
Reading helps your child develop a positive attitude towards literacy.
Your kids will feel secured when they are read to.
By reading books with emotions, they can understand and express their emotional feelings along with understanding others feelings.
It helps your child to think out of the box.
Your toddler will be able to handle and hold books better. They learn to turn the pages, along with holding the book in the right way.
Improves listening skill in your child as they pay attention during reading, which is the first step before they start reading.
Listening to the story aloud adds more words to their vocabulary as they listen to new words which you might not use in your day-to-day life.
A study says that if you regularly read to your toddler in the early 5 years, they are exposed to 1.4 million more words than children who aren’t read to during the first 5 years of age.
Consistent reading aloud to your toddlers will develop concentration and self-discipline skills in them.
Listening to the story every day helps your child develop a longer attention span and improves your memory and remembrance skill, which is not being possible nowadays with increased screen time.
Involve your child while reading by asking “What will happen next” this will improve their comprehensive skill.
Your toddler starts understanding how the book works.
Researchers have found that mothers who read to their child from their early childhood handle their child with more patience, and even the child will be able to exercise better self-control and pay better attention.
Your child will start repeating the sounds that they hear while reading, and your toddlers will also talk about the pictures or characters they hear about.
Reading books may help your child develop into a lifelong reader.
When you spend time together with your child while reading before bed, this can also improve your child’s sleep quality as they get the bond and affection they want from you as well as it helps them calm down before sleep.
Reading may help them develop interest in learning different languages and how to navigate the world.

Tips for reading books to toddlers:-

You can read to your child as early as when your child is about 6 months old.
Start with simple books. Choose books wisely depending on your child’s age as the younger kids have a shorter attention span as they grow their attention span will increase.
Read slowly so that your toddler can understand the story.
Establish a routine and try to read at least a little portion from the book each day.
Find a quiet place to read with no distractions.
Choose a specific location in your house for reading and use the same space every day.
Involve your child in reading by making funny noises and sounds, along with encouraging your child by talking about the pictures and repeating familiar words.
You can talk to your baby when you read books to them.
Help your child pick a book they want you to read.
Be ready to read your child’s favorite book again and again.
For younger kids, use books with lots of actions, pictures, and details.
Ask your older child to share some books with your younger child, or you can include both your children while reading.
Read Fiction and Non-Fiction stories to them. With non-fiction stories, they can know more about animals, airplanes, and a much more variety of books that are available. Whereas with fiction stories, they can go beyond the real world and know about fantasy elements.
Repetition is important at this age for your child. You should choose books that rhyme, sing and repeat the text. Ask your toddler to repeat with you, and try to pause in between so that your toddler can fill it.
Expose your child to books by reading together, playing word games, and practicing letters and sounds.
Last but not least, to raise a reader, be a reader.

Conclusion:-

Visit the nearby library with your child to help them choose the books that they can relate to or the book that they might enjoy. You may also discover your child’s interests through this. You can also have a chat with the librarian to get some suggestions on the best books for your child’s age. Following is the list of books that are most loved by the parents we know and which you can grab from your local library, or you can shop online to have the book of their own.

Best Books to read to toddlers:-

1. Are you My Mother?

This book is a heart-warming classic about a baby bird in search of his mother. A baby bird goes in search of his mother in the beginning of the book and then continues with whom all the baby meets and finally ends with how the baby finds his mother. It takes us through the bond between the mother and baby.