I grew up completely obsessed with reading. When the Harry Potter books came out, I read them cover to cover in pretty much one sitting, except for that pesky thing called family dinner that my mom insisted I join for. And even now, I love to read whenever I get the chance, which, admittedly, isn’t all that often with two tiny terrorists (I mean angels) running around. But, whenever I get the opportunity to truly relax, a book is always the first thing I grab.
With reading being such an important part of my life, I knew I wanted my kids to grow up loving books as much as I did (and still do). It wasn’t always easy in the beginning, but with a little perseverance we now have two little bookworms on our hands. Here are my top five tips for encouraging your toddler to love reading, including the always-amazing Lillypost mail that my kiddos are unpacking here.
Make reading a part of your routine.
Toddlers love routines, it gives them a sense of security in the face of so much newness and change each and every day. Which is one of the reasons why a bedtime story is such a calming ritual that kids love. But bedtime isn’t the only time of the day when you can establish a reading ritual – any time you feel your toddler needs a little downtime, sit and read a story with them. Soon enough they’ll come to expect and find comfort in these little reading sessions.
Reread favourite stories
I know it’s not exactly fun reading the same story 100 times in a row, but young kids just love to read the same stories over and over again. It’s how they learn and, eventually, are able to participate in the story telling.
Talk about what you are reading
As you’re reading, ask your toddler questions, whether it’s to look for specific things on the page or ask how elements in the story relate to their own life. (Look at the dog right there. Does grandma have a dog too?)
Display books forward-facing
Young kids are interested in things they can see.
A book spine really isn’t all that interesting to a toddler. When you display books front-facing (aka showing off the cover picture), they are that much more enticing to little ones. My favourite front-facing book displays are the IKEA FLISAT book display and wall storage, but we’ve also used several low-mounted RIBBA picture ledges around our house to display kids books.
Order a monthly subscription box
What toddler doesn’t love getting presents in the mail? We’ve been using the Lillypost subscription book service for four months now and it is, hands down, my favourite package that we get in the mail each month. My kids absolutely love these boxes! How it works is you choose either the board book box (for ages 0-2) or the picture book box (for ages 3+), pick your subscription duration, and then each month you get a box in the mail with 4 or 5 individually wrapped books. It’s such a great way to add some variety to our book collection and of course my kids get so excited about opening (and then reading) their new books.
If you want to give Lillypost a try (available in both Canada and the U.S.), make sure to use code Thothub for 10% off any 3, 6, or 12 month subscription (no expiry date). Can only be used towards first time purchases.
What are your favourite ways to encourage your toddler’s love of reading?
