What Toddlers Like In Books

What Toddlers Like In Books ( 2 - 3 Years of Age)

• Small books to fit small hands

• Books with simple rhymes

• Books with familiar items - shoes, toys, pets

• Books with familiar routines - bedtime, bath time, meals

• Lift the flap books

• Books with very few words or with repeating words - books little ones can learn by heart

• Goodnight books for bedtime

For Print Motivation:

• Lift-the-Flap Books are very engaging!

• Silly Books appeal to a young reader's developing sense of humor and help them create positive associations with books.

• Sharing books about a toddler's favorite things is a great way to keep them motivated about books.

For Phonological Awareness:

• Song Books that contain simple, familiar songs are good choices and toddlers will appreciate songs with multiple verses.

• Noise Books are a great way for toddlers to practice imitating animal noises and making language sounds.

• Rhyming Books like Mother Goose and sharing poetry with children are some of the best ways to build phonological awareness. One rhyme per page works well for toddlers.

For Vocabulary:

• Picture Books build vocabulary because they have more "rare" words than our casual conversation. For instance, the nappers in the "Napping House" are not just sleeping; they are dozing, cozy, snoring, and dreaming.

• Non-Fiction Books are amazing vocabulary builders!

• ABC Books are often full of objects to name and tings to discuss. Younger children will need simpler pictures to be successful.

For Narrative Skills:

• Repetitive Books help children practice predicting what comes next in a story.

• Different versions of familiar folktales helps make children aware of the basic structure of a story.

• Wordless and Nearly Wordless Books let children tell stories in their own words.

For Print Awareness:

• Labeled Picture Books help children make the connection between the words they know and the print on the page.

• Heavy Cardstock Books help toddlers transition form board books.

• Large Print and Simple Text Books that are surrounded by white space help children see the words being read.

For Letter Knowledge:

• ABC Books that are clean and simple so toddler can focus on the letter shape helps build letter knowledge skills.

Search-and-find Books give children a chance to practice differentiating between shapes and objects. Make sure the books are not too tough.