Did you know that looking at the pictures in books is one of the first stages of learning to read? When you’re reading aloud to toddlers, help them learn by encouraging them to look at and discuss what they see in the pictures. They may seem young, but toddlers are smart and capable of developing pre-reading skills.

Adults may find it boring and wonder why toddlers love reading and re-reading the same books over and over again. Toddlers feel completely engrossed in these books as they study the pictures and colours, listen to the rhythm, rhyme or patterns of the words as they are being read aloud by an adult, and master the feel and texture of the pages as they turn. For toddlers, there is a certain sense of control and predictability in a book that they have read and re-read. For toddlers, repeatedly “reading” a book (or looking at the pictures and discussing what they see) is hard work, but it stimulates their language and cognitive development. Always offer positive praise and encourage toddler’s reading.