Reading Checkup Guide - Checkup Guide

Written by Dr. Bob Myers

Reading CheckUp for Babies & Toddlers

 

Newborn to age 2
It's never too soon to begin reading to your child. Babies enjoy hearing a parent's voice, even if they can't understand the words. They soak up the language and attention. Toddlers and twos can listen longer and follow a simple story. They focus on the pictures, but they are learning some of "the basics" about reading, such as how to hold a book and turn the pages. They are also learning to love it.

Does your child...

1. Respond happily to reading by waving hands or batting the pages?
a. not yet b. sometimes c. often

2.

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Treat books differently than other playthings?
a. not yet b. sometimes c. often

3. Join in when you read rhymes, sounds or lines that repeat?
a. not yet b. sometimes c. often

4. Want you to read the same book again and again?
a. not yet b. sometimes c. often

Can your child...

1. Hold a book right-side up and turn the pages one at a time?
a. not yet b. sometimes c. often

2. Point to something in a picture and say its name?
a. not yet b. sometimes c. often

3. Retell something that happened during the day?
a. not yet b. some words c. often

4. Hold a crayon in a fist and scribble?
a. not yet b. without control c. with control

Not to worry! It's okay if your child...

• Teethes on books or handles them roughly at first. Babies treat books like toys.
• Quickly loses interest or is easily distracted when you read. Skip to a favorite page.
• Wants to read the same story over and over again. Children learn through repetition.
• Shows little interest in reading. Put the book down and try again later.

How you can help...

• Read aloud to a young baby for only a few minutes at a time. Read a little longer as your older baby or toddler is willing to listen.
• Point to things in picture books and name them. As your children learn to talk, ask them to "point and say."
• Set aside at least one regularly-scheduled time each day for reading. Make it part of your toddler's routine. Also take toddlers to the library or book store for story hour.
• Recite nursery rhymes and sing songs. Rhymes help develop a young child's ear for language.

Book shelf

• Cloth, vinyl and board books that are durable for babies
• Books with familiar objects for naming
• Simple stories about a toddler's everyday experiences
• A collection of Mother Goose or other nursery rhymes