As a first time mom that has observed many children as a teacher myself for years I wanted to strongly encourage reading with our little one in our home. My husband is a huge reader, where I enjoy it but I don’t really make time for it unless it’s a book I really really like…and honestly I haven’t read an entire book since our little was only a couple of months old and I had lots of time to read while nursing!
Today I’d like to share a 6 tips we have implemented in our home to encourage reading to our little one. She may grow up to love reading and she may not enjoy it but I want to give her every opportunity to enjoy it if I can.
- Colorful and Fun Books- It seems simple to say but honestly, get the fun colorful books for your baby. Starting out we had the simple books with the black and white shapes…she LOVED it even as a baby that was just developing her eye sight.
- Make Your Books Accessible- We keep books within her reach, not ours!!! Her books are all on the lowest shelf of our bookshelf and she plays with them all the time. Ok she may not be “reading” them but she loves looking at them and playing with them. This is a start! She’s becoming familiar with them and enjoying them.
- Associate love with Books- When you take the time out of your busy day and sit and read to them, your arms are around them and they are in your lap. This is a safe place for them and one that is loved. You are doing more than reading to them, you are encouraging a loving and safe place.
- Introduce new books- As adults we get bored looking at the same things day in and day out, so do your littles. Their likes and dislikes will change. So encourage new books. That’s why I love the concept of bookroo and a monthly subscription to receive new books each month. Right now because of our daughters age we are receiving board books! I love them! They arrived in adorable packaging- which is for mama and then the books were so colorful and we ALL loved them. Cute and inviting books picked just for us!! In addition they sent us a little “about” card telling us about each book, which was really sweet. Plus log your reading with their app, how cool is that, especially for older kids!! If you want $10 off use code: ELLESTAP — bookroo
- Let them choose what to read- They will have favorites. Currently we have two favorites and on those two favorites are a favorite page that we re-read and have on repeat all day long! I love it and never sigh when she brings me the book to open to her favorite page and talk about the page. We aren’t really “reading” it we are simply looking and talking about it. (see tip 7!)
- Flip Fast – Yes, their attention span is about the span of 1 second. Flip fast, flip backwards, let them flip. You are still teaching them that books are fun, a part of their lives and enjoyable. We are noticing that it seems each week she will sit for longer a bit longer. For one book that is…then the rest of them we just want to flip. That’s ok because she’ll grow up and learn to sit and read!
- Not the Whole Book- It’s ok to not read the whole book. It really is. Same goes for us adults it’s ok if we don’t read an entire book, as long as we are reading, right? If you get through the first 3 pages and then your little wants to flip, let them. It’s ok. Here is a great read on reading to wiggly little ones with a short attention span!
Thank you to bookroo for sending our Elle this sweet books as a gift for us to tell you all about them!
Hi I’m Erin a Southern mama from South Mississippi, owner and chief editor of Sixth Bloom a blog helping mom-tographers capture their kiddos and life, talking all things home, parenting and how we navigate through life. You will find me living life to the fullest with my mister (aka husband) and our little one year old, Miss Elle, in our 500+ sq foot cottage as we build our dream house on our two acres! We are blessed beyond measure, love to travel, involved in ministry at our church and in between all of that I run three successful businesses!
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