|
Promoting Literacy: 1- to 2-Years-Old
As your baby enters toddlerhood, he’ll approach a whole new set of firsts, most notably first steps and first words. The random syllables he’s been trying out over the past few months will develop into his first honest-to-goodness words. It’s estimated that your child will learn up to 10 new words each day, usually starting to string two or more of them together into phrases by 18 months of age. (Remember, every child develops at a different pace. If you have any questions or concerns about your child's development, ask your pediatrician.)
As your toddler’s imagination soars, pretending is likely to become a favorite activity. If you see your little one paging through a book and pretending to read along, he’s engaging in a constructive early literacy activity. One-year-olds are also intent on forging their independence in their little circle of the world, attempting to put on and take off socks and shoes, climb onto and off of furniture, and put on and remove lids. This newfound self-sufficiency will also extend to reading—don’t be surprised if your toddler insists on holding the book or turning the pages while you read.
Best books for toddlers
When choosing reading material for your one-year-old, cater to his budding independence and imagination with books that include Velcro® closures, buttons, snaps, ties, and flaps. Any story that encourages interaction will be a big hit. Toddlers are also enthralled by books with mirrors, music, and built-in puzzles, such as those in Baby's First Book Club.
Get your one-year-old on the fast track to learning by choosing books that focus on the fundamentals:
• Alphabet: It will be a couple of years before your toddler begins recognizing and writing letters, but it’s never too soon to expose him to the alphabet. The more he sees the letters and hears their names, the easier it will be for him to make the associations on his own when the time comes. Dr. Seuss’s ABCs from the Dr. Seuss & His Friends club is a time-honored alphabet classic. The Baby Einstein Playful Discoveries title My ABCs is another favorite.
• Music and movement: Toddlers love to be on the move—especially when they have a soundtrack. Books that incorporate songs and moving parts are sure to engage them. Stories that focus on transportation (cars, trucks, buses, and airplanes) also hold a big fascination. My First Music Collection includes 15 CDs of music created just for children, while the book, Music on the Go (from Baby Einstein Playful Discoveries) features trains, trucks, and other favorite modes of transportation paired with playful, musical rhymes.
• Shapes and colors: These are two of the most important associations to teach your one-year-old. Dr. Seuss’s Shape of Me and Other Stuff (from the Dr. Seuss & His Friends club) helps toddlers start to see how the world is made up of shapes and help them to apply it to their environment.
• Numbers and counting: Reading books that incorporate numbers and counting, especially when paired with catchy rhymes, is a fun and effective way to introduce your toddler to the basic math skills he’ll master as he approaches preschool and kindergarten. Choose a favorite counting book, like Ten Apples Up on Top by Dr. Seuss. Explore the math titles in the award-winning My First Steps to Learning series to familiarize your child with basic numbers.
• Moods: Toddlers are just beginning the long process of learning to understand and process their emotions, which is why books dealing with feelings and dispositions are so captivating. Choose a book that focuses on happiness, anger, sadness, and other basic moods, along with lessons for constructive ways to handle them. Mimi's Day, from the award-winning Baby Einstein Playful Discoveries series, is an effective mirror book that teaches little ones how to recognize their feelings and practice those faces while looking in the mirror located in the book.
Although it can sometimes be difficult to capture your one-year-old’s focus long enough to read one page, much less an entire book, you're making a difference by trying to make it fun and to follow his cues. When reading to a young toddler, quality is much more important than quantity. Do your best to make every minute you read together fun.
1-2 years old Child Development Tips
• Independence Through Reading
At one year of age, your toddler will be anxious to express his independence and opinions. Reading time provides the perfect opportunity for him to assert his newfound self-sufficiency. Let your toddler choose the book and the location for each session, and don’t be surprised if he insists on holding the book and turning the pages. Although his response to the story may be limited to non-verbal cues (smiling, laughing, etc.) and babbling, this is the mark of a healthy interaction with the reading material and is an important early literacy activity.
• Separation Themes: Ease Transitions Through Reading
During this stage, toddlers often struggle with separation anxiety. Your easy, go-anywhere baby who was happy to be held by anyone may suddenly become panicked at the prospect of leaving your side. By choosing books with themes of separation—such as greeting Daddy when he gets home from work or waving bye-bye to Mommy—you’ll show your little one that transition is a normal, healthy part of life.
• Reading on the Move: First Steps, First Books
Most toddlers of this age are just beginning to pull themselves to a standing position, "cruise" along furniture, and perhaps even take a few first steps. Once your little guy is on the move, it will be hard to keep him still. At this stage, every step is a feat to be celebrated, and every waking minute provides an opportunity to explore. Unlike adults, one-year-olds don’t view reading as a sedentary activity. Your toddler may prefer to read standing up or while walking around, and that’s perfectly fine. The most important thing is that he’s interacting with books!
• Give & Take: Interactive Reading
Interactivity is key to relating to toddlers, especially with reading. Instead of just narrating the words on the page, encourage your little one to respond to what’s happening on the page. Take frequent breaks from the action to ask questions—“I wonder why he did that?”—and to repeat favorite rhymes or phrases. Although you may not get a verbal response, your little one will likely react with smiles, laughter, eye contact, and the basic syllables that make up the beginnings of his language. This give-and-take narration style makes reading more of a shared than a one-sided activity.
• Books of His Own: Learning about Possession
Toddlers take pride in their own spaces and items. Building a library of books for your one-year-old is a great way to foster early literacy. Providing him with a hand-picked collection of books shows him that reading is an important and enjoyable part of life, and gives him the freedom to choose whatever story appeals to him. Building your toddler’s library is easier than you might think. Joining a book club gives you easy access to the most popular titles. You might also ask family and friends to give books instead of toys for birthdays and holidays. |