Children’s reading interests and needs change as they grow. As you help your child choose good books, here are some basic things to look for:
Choosing a book for a baby
- Cloth, board or washable books
- Books with different textures
- Pictures of familiar objects
- Clear colourful pictures
- Bright colours
- No words or few large print words
Choosing a book for a preschooler
- Favourite books
- Interactive books
- Stories with simple plot
- Topics that interest child
- Fairy tales
- Repetitive text
- Books with large text
- Books with interesting pictures
- Books about abstract ideas or new things
(different cultures, animals, tools, etc.)
Choosing a book for a toddler
- Interactive — encourages child to make a sound or act
- Multi-sensory (touch and feel books)
- Stories that review basic concepts such as letters, numbers, shapes and colours
- Nursery rhyme books
- Books about everyday life such as getting dressed, playing, eating, etc.
- Books with few words or large print words
- Simple repetitive words or phrases
- Books with bright simple pictures
- Topics that interest your toddler
What if my child isn’t interested in reading or can’t sit still?
- Point out or talk about print in your environment (road signs, food labels, etc.)
- It’s OK to look through a book and then decide not to read the whole thing. If your child doesn’t like a book after reading a few pages, pick another one. Reading is supposed to be fun, not a chore
- Choose a comfortable area with little or no distractions (TV, tablets, toys, etc.)
- Read a page or two at a time. It’s OK to leave the book and come back and finish it later
- Instead of reading the words in the book, make up your own story or talk about the pictures
- Make reading a routine (bedtime)
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