I would call myself a traditionalist when it comes to parenting. As a traditional mom, one of my aims has been to develop a love for reading [1] in my kids. So, I started with co-reading with my children fairly early.
I feel reading together is an important element in a child’s development. It lets you spend some quality time together for bonding and enjoying each other’s company. While reading stories, we create many special moments with our children.
However, sometimes I struggled with how make an infant or toddler sit through these stories [2]. Here are a few pointers to help:
Allow Choice - It is important to introduce kids to stories right from a young age. Invite them to see a book; however, don’t force them.
Be Expressive – It is extremely important for parents to be expressive while sharing stories with children. This introduces children to different emotions and tones. For example, while reading a story about the hungry lion, roar like a lion. Introduce facial expression and see how your child is glued to the book. They may want a repeat performance.
Be Creative and Innovative – Innovation is the key to success, isn’t it? Use different means other than books. Puppets are a great way to build a story as well as using tools like story cubes [3] and picture story telling.
Bedtime Stories – As a parent, you probably also tell bed time stories to your kid as I do. Bedtime stories introduces your child to the concept of daily routine.
Children love stories, so make time to share a good story with your little one every day. Take the advantage of telling stories and incorporate them in your child’s life. You will be glad that you did. I did it and I cherish the moments that come with it!
Want to inspire a love of reading in your children?
Check out some great ideas and more stories by moms on our Get Kids Reading page [4].
And to find out more about TD’s Children Literacy initiatives visit tdreads.com [5].