Reading with babies & toddlers
The Wise Baby
The Wise Baby - The Definitive Baby Blog
Monday, March 2nd, was National Read Across America day in honor of Dr. Suess’s Birthday. And on the first Wednesday of every March is World Read Aloud Day. It’s a jam packed week to bring awareness of the importances of reading to our children. I don’t know about you, but I think these celebrations are impeccably timed. This winter has officially gotten the best of us, without being able to burn off any steam outdoors, we are completely hooked on screens. Harrison is exhibiting all the signs of addiction, he wakes up asking for his shows, has epic temper tantrums when I deny him a device, and bounces off the walls when we go cold turkey. As with all children, Harrison has his strengths and weaknesses. The two things we have going for us is that a) he’s the world’s greatest eater and b) he likes to be read to for hours on end. Lately however, when I suggest we read Cinderella, he counters with, “Cinderella on the TV mama”. In an effort to detox from digital and get back to print, I wanted to revisit all the steps I took to encourage Harrison to be a lover of books.
2. Build a home library! When hosting baby showers, I love to ask guests to bring signed books for the baby or parent instead of cards. There are so many wonderful board books under $5, about the cost of a greeting card. It’s such easy way to start baby’s library. There are many little poems to include in the invitations, a brief example is: One small request that won’t be too hard , Please bring a book instead of a card!
Book Recommendations. My husband would tell you that books have been my shopping addiction since having Harrison. I can’t help it! Anytime he becomes interested in something I have to find a book on the topic (trains, it’s always trains). Of course we have to get books on each holiday, on each season, on not hitting, on brushing our teeth, on starting school, on the abc’s, on counting, on being brave and kind, and on and on and on! Sometimes though, I am really just burnt out on our current reading selection. I am always searching for new books and for ways to not spend an arm and a leg. Here’s a little shopping guide:
3. Highlights I just discovered that there are different levels to all my childhood favorites like Zoobooks and Highlights. The level one magazines more resemble books and cover interesting topics for baby/toddler aged kids. You can get a book a month for the cost of a magazine subscription!
4. The New York Times Best Seller List: This is a great guide if you are looking for a new book for your home library or for a gift! These books are sure to be great hits with both the parent and child. The only problem is that there is not a lot of turnover here, there are some books on the list today that where there when Harrison was born. (Our current favorite: Dragons Love Tacos
Caldecott Medal & Honor Books: Once we have read every book from the NYT we move on to the Caldecott winners. I love this list because it goes back all the way to 1938, so there are lots of oldies but goodies. I would compare this award to the Oscars in that it’s made up of a committee that may not always have the same view as the general public. My point is that while you may enjoy and appreciate the artistry that goes into the book, your two year old may have zero interest. One Harrison and I both love: Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
Geisel Award: is honored to books intended for new readers. So it’s specifically geared towards children. It’s important to note that some books are not meant for reading out loud. For example, many Dr Suess books (who the award is named after) are meant to be read by the child! Kids can process hearing books at a much higher level than they can read themselves. I find many of these books painful to read out loud (Dr. Suess makes my tongue numb with rhyming) but I love having them around for Harrison. (You Are Not Small
PJ Library: This is one of the ways I build a library while saving. This is a Jewish program that sends free books on a monthly basis. Harrison really loves these simple board books and it’s a nice way to teach him about his culture. Does anyone know of other programs like this?
Library: Duh! Librarians are the most knowledgable people for great book recommendations! Our Chicago library system has great and free read aloud program. These classes are insanely popular and always get booked up fast! The children’s section of a library is often equipped with some puzzles and crayon crafts and is a great place to encourage a love of reading. Check out your local library for information on story times and children’s activities!
5. Bookcases. To display your newly acquired library, you will need some storage. My degree is in merchandise management which helped me “sell” books to Harrison. I knew from day one that I wanted to display all of his books facing forward. The books facing forward in the library are always checked out more and purchased more in a book store. Basic marketing 101. Books should always be placed at the child’s height and they should always be able to see the cover. Think about how much easier it is to capture the attention of a toddler with the cover rather than just the spine? We had our bookshelf built into Harrison’s nursery, but I wanted to share some other great options (3 shelf book rack, Wall Book Bin, Tot Tutors Book Rack
Any other tips you have for encouraging reading with your little one? Any books you love?
