How Do I Get My Daughter to Read?

She is only one year old! That is pretty typical behavior. Ihave been reading to my 19 month old since she was little and around taht age she was grabbing and throwing books down. Now at 19 months sometimes she will sit still and other times she won't. Sometimes she flips through fast, other times she will "read" along with us (she has memorized some of the words to the books I guess). You are on the right track, don't sweat it!

My son went through this as well. At this age it is difficult for them to slow down. Try making it part of the bedtime routine - and maybe pick just one book that you know she enjoys. With my son I just kept modeling reading/reading out loud while he played until he "grew back into" reading (around 18 months or so). All of a sudden he wanted to sit and read again. Now is is 26 months and some evenings at bedtime he wants you to read 6 books, some evenings he sits next to you and plays with a toy while half listening. What is important is to keep reading and modeling that it is important to you - without making it seem like a forced chore.

Good luck! You are using a lot of great strategies already. :)

I didn't read All the responses, but the other mothers seem to be giving good advice of being patient and going with the flow. I actually worked with a literacy program and have presented to MOPS groups the importance of reading. At this age, they are curious about so much and stimulated by so much. Just because your daughter does not sit still, does not mean she is not listening. It is VERY important that you do not stop reading to her. It may seem like she is not interested or distracted, but it has been proven that they are still hearing you read and you are still building the importance of reading and your time together. Yes, she will again sit down and read with you in a few months. It's like a growth spurt in her mind and you just have to keep it stimulated. She will soon enough be back cuddling in your lap. Also, let her see you reading. Have mommmy and me down time when you both sit and read/look at books or magazines. You are setting the foundation for a future reader this way. And, you are developing a love of books. A future FYI...do not punish your child ever by taking away reading time. The benefits of this time are so significant that you would just be hurting your child.

No need to worry, let her guide you through the stages of her "reading" journey. She will progress faster than you think. My 16-month old already sits and "reads" by herself also and loves to sit and listen to story after story at night (or anytime). Your little one will get there too... she may just be so excited about some of her other large motor skills, like walking, that she can't focus on listening right now. My daugther went through a phase when she began walking (12 months) where she wasn't very verbal for a while, even though she'd been moreso before. She was just practicing her new things and then would get back to the others when the novelty wore off!

Good luck!
K.

M.,
Since she is only one her attention span is normal not to be long. Choose books that are simple one to three words a page and if there is a flip for them to open on the page this helps keep thier attention, plus they love to help open the flip to see what is under it. I purchased some at Wal-Mart for 89 cents and they have been the best purchase I ever made for my grandson, he is almost 3 and still pulls these books out of all the new books I buy for them to be the one he wants to be read to. Remember simple is better at this age.
Good Luck, Kathy

Your child actually sitting and looking at a book with you while you read, especailly at such a young age, is less important than you actually reading to her. She has a limited attention span, so just go with the flow. Try not to be so structured. Eventually she'll be sitting with you long enough to finish a book. Until then, just keep reading, looking at books, even if you only get through 2 pages.

~J.

Hi M.!!

Oh my gosh! Your daughter sounds just like mine. I have a 21 month old and she was EXACTLY like your daughter at her age. I thought I was a terrible Mom because I couldn't read a story to her. The most amazing thing happened a few months ago. She started sitting still for story time!! I can now sit and read an entire book to her. Just wait and be patient, and hopefully she will start sitting with you so you can read to her.

My little girl went through this, it's a stage that didn't last long! Now, at 21 months, we read 4 books and then she takes one in her crib to "read" as she falls asleep. Just wait it out a bit!!

What your little baby is doing is what she is suppose to be doing. She is showing you her interest the way a young child is suppose too. Let her enjoy thumbing through books, looking at one page, or whatever she may want to do. In time she will mature. My son did not enjoy listening to a story until he turned four and now he loves books. As an educator, I was worried at first. However, I now know that each child grows at the pace he/she needs too. Allow your child to explore. This is one of the best gifts you can give her. A.

She is 1. Let her be 1. Her attention span is seconds. Eventually she will have more interest in the pictures and ultimately in the words. I used to rub my daughters back or belly till she fell asleep. This was conditioning for her to associate laying in bed with relaxing. Once the relaxation part of going to bed is established reading to her in bed will be an easier task.

She's behaving like a normal one year old. Don't worry about it! You can read/tell her stories as she plays as well as quiet time. They also make bath books that can get wet - that might be an option as well, to read to her in the tub!

I am a mother of two twenty somethings and when they were at that age they didn't sit still at that age either because they were too busy discovering their new world. At that age their attention spans might be at little at one minute per year for a sedentary activity. I also used to teach pre-school and this was the rule of thumb when planning activities. Right now it is much more important to work with fine motor/gross motor activities. Read that much wanted reading activity for a short time or incorporate it with relevant toys. All toddlers love music and singing. Read to your daughter before nap time when she is calmer and tired. It's okay if she don't look at the pictures while reading at this age. All children will learn at their own pace. Be very patient with her because she will pick up on your frustration and won't like any activity when she feels your stress. Just enjoy any activity with her and go at her pace for wonderful memories when you get to be my age. Pick your battles and don't stress the small stuff.

Hi M.--I have little girl that sounds very similar. She is 2 now and loves books so much that she picks out two to sleep with every night. But at one, she would hand me another book as soon as I started reading the first and hardly looked at the pictures. She would often try to turn the pages faster than I could read or walk away from me while I was reading the book she picked out...this lasted about 5-6 months, but I kept reading to her anyway (I'd read as she played near me or just read what I could get through before she lost interest). I also tried to teach her that books aren't the same as other toys--we can't throw them, rip them or step on them.

I'm also a speech-language pathologist, so I know a little bit about literacy and pre-literacy skills. So, my advice as a professional is: don't panic if your kid isn't paying attention to an entire book at 1 yr. Model "good book reading" behavior for her (look at the cover, turn the pages from left to right, label and point at the pictures, etc.) and consider any attention she pays to pictures positive. Think of labeling and attention to pictures as pre-literacy skills; these skills a crucial to speech and language development too, so as her language skills and vocabulary increase, she will have more interest in books.

I wouldn't sweat it one little bit, sedentary activity for a 1 year old is nearly impossible...they want to be on their feet!!! Give her some time and she will love reading as much as my 2 do...they were both the same way, but now we read SEVERAL books every night. If you try to force her to sit, she may associate books with negativity. Try again in a couple of months...if she's not ready, try at 18 months...keep trying and she'll come around. Before you know it, you'll have a little bookworm! Let her see you reading, they love to copy our behaviors.

Dear M.,

At a year old I made a picture book for my daughter. I cut out eyes from a magazine and labled eye's in large red letters. It was one item per page; hand, hair, nose, mouth. She really liked the participation of it. Then with regular books she ripped them up, etc.

Deb

Hi My Name Is Patty and I am married and have 5 children. It sounds like your child is ready to explore new horizons. Find books that makes sounds and that do not have too many words to read. Remember she is only one.

yep, you'll be fine! I read to my son since 3 months old and he loved it! around 15 months old, he did what your daughter is doing. I was so upset and worried! he wouldn't sit on our laps anymore at all! When he did read, he just wanted to sit by himself and look through them. I gave him a few months and didn't push anything on him. He is two now and every night he sits next to me on our glider and we read 3-4 books before naps and bed. sometimes he wants to rush through them, sometimes he wants to spend 10 minutes on one page! She will come back around, no worries. I also get him a new book every few weeks to peek his interest some more. He loves the "lift the flap" books and now he is into Dora, so I got him interactive books of hers.
Kids go through phases with everything!!!!

I think the important thing is to get them hooked on anything to do with books, not just printed words, which have no meaning to them at very young ages. When my kids were quite small, I'd "read" magazines to them and have them point to various items pictured on the pages. When they were far less than a year old, they could distinguish between species of flowers, birds, fish, and too many other things to ever mention. They loved the interaction and when I would actually read their little picture books to them, they would point to items so I could identify them. I cut pictures from anything I didn't need to keep and placed them in magnetic scrapbook pages, safe from their sticky little hands. The scrapbook went with us everywhere and they never tired of playing our "where's the...?" game. When they were in first grade, their vocabularies tested at a 12th grade level. You can expand the game by asking what is happening in the pictures (why is the bird flying with a stick in his beak...etc.) My kids still love books, and request them as travel souvenirs or gifts for special occasions. Reading to them will remain one of my most treasured memories! (I also had a wonderfully illustrated book of poetry and my teen-age daughter is now an award-winning young poetry artist!)