How to Read to Toddlers (over 18 Months)
Reading with toddlers is more than just reading words—it’s an interactive experience that builds language, thinking skills, and emotional understanding. Here are some simple ways to make storytime fun and meaningful:
Show Emotions in Your Reading
Bring the story to life by using different voices for each character and matching your facial expressions to what’s happening. If the character is sad, look sad. If they’re happy or surprised, show it on your face! This makes the story exciting and helps your child understand feelings.
Get Them Involved
Toddlers are starting to build their vocabulary, so invite them to join in. Pause during the story and let them fill in a word or two. Ask simple questions like:
* “Where is Spot?”
* “What is he doing?”
Encourage your child to ask questions too. If they ask something, don’t rush to give the answer. Instead, guide them to figure it out by describing what you see. For example, if they ask, “Where are they going?”, you could say:
“I see a fishing rod and a bucket, and they’re near a river. I think they might be going fishing.”
This helps your child learn to think, make connections, and look for clues in pictures.
Play the Guessing Game
Before you even open the book, look at the cover together and guess what the story might be about. Is it about a farm, the sea, or maybe school? If your child isn’t sure, think out loud and show them how you figure it out.
While reading, keep guessing! Ask questions like:
“What do you think will happen next?”
This makes reading more exciting and builds prediction skills.
Teach New Words in Context
Learning new words isn’t just about memorizing them—it’s about understanding what they mean and how they fit into the world. When introducing a new word, explain what it is and what it’s used for. For example:
Instead of just saying, “This is a hammer,” you could say, “A hammer is a tool we use to build things.”
This helps your child connect new words to categories and real-life uses, which strengthens comprehension and thinking skills.
