When Books are Hard…
One of my favorite topics….BOOKS!!!
Books can be incredible tools when it comes to supporting engagement, language learning, and social communication.
But…what if your child avoids books? What if they run away when you suggest a story? What if they hate the whole experience?
First of all- you’re not alone! Every child is different. Some are naturally drawn to books, and others might struggle to attend to a single page.
We know that reading is important- for many areas of development! It’s not impossible to reel your child in, but it might take some planning and perseverance on your part…
Here are my suggestions for building interest in books and story time in general:
1- Dive deep into your child’s interests.
There is a book for everything, and I mean everything. What does your child love? Trains? Animals? Letters? Music? Start here- this is huge.
2- Explore interactive books.
When your child has a job, or something to “do” on each page, they’re more likely to stick around. This might include: touch-and-feel books, pop-up books, puppet books, lift-the-flap books, or music/sounds books (this is definitely not an all-inclusive list!)
3- Routines and repetition are your friend.
When your child knows what to expect, they are more likely to participate. If you read the book every night (or even multiple times a day), try pausing to see if your child knows what comes next. They might surprise you!
4- Make it fun!
Try incorporating gestures, silly sounds, different voices, actions- you name it. Anything to build your audience! Blow kisses to the character in each page, high-five or wave to the animals in the book, or use big sounds like “wow!”
And a few things to remember-
You don’t have to read the words! (I almost never read the words)
Skip pages if it’s easier!
It’s okay to read the same book every night.
Books do not have to be elaborate- 1 to 2 words per page is fine!
I can’t stress this enough- just because your child isn’t looking at you or sitting still, doesn’t mean they’re not listening- keep going!
You child knows when you’re frustrated- try to make books a positive experience- even if you start with 30 seconds per night.
This week I’ll be sharing some of my favorite books for building that initial interest in reading. If you’re looking for a few ideas, definitely tune in to our social media pages!
And of course, if you’re having specific challenges, don’t hesitate to reach out! I have tons of books to recommend, along with ideas to encourage positive reading experiences.