It is quite another thing to teach your child to love reading. While most experts agree that teaching a child to read - to recognize letters and sound out words and string words into sentences - is a process best left until the child is ready, teaching a child to love reading is a process that can start long before he or she knows an 'A' from a 'Z'.



Be selective.


Choose books with large, clear, bright, realistic but cheerful illustrations with short, simple text. Though most toddlers prefer rhyming books, now is a good time to start introducing some very simple stories in prose. Heavy board books with spiral bindings are ideal for your toddler to 'read' alone. Skip cloth books and vinyl books.



Be persistent.


Many toddlers do little but squirm the first few times you read to him but persistence pays off. Establish a regular reading time at least once a day (best times are after bath and before bed time). Even if it lasts just a few pages, and even if your toddler seems more interested in puttering with a new toy or climbing on and off the bed, story time will ultimately become a ritual. Never force your toddler to pay attention to a story while you are reading. This will make reading more of a chore than a pleasure.



Be expressive.


No one likes to listen to a monotone. To a toddler who is just picking up nuances of language, an expressive reading style makes listening not only more enjoyable but also more comprehensible.



Be repetitious.


Toddlers love to hear the same story over and over again; it is incredibly satisfying to young ears to hear the familiar. Especially if the text is in rhyme, you may be surprised to find after a while that your toddler has memorized some of it.



Be brief.


Short books and short reading sessions are best with toddlers who cannot sit still. Go from page to page and idea to idea quickly to keep restlessness from setting in. Be ready to end story time after just a few minutes, if necessary.



Be cuddly.


Children who come to associate reading with the cozy comfort of being curled up on your lap almost always enjoy reading books later on.



Be a good example.


Children of readers are much more likely to end up readers themselves. Try to set time aside each day for your reading. Make sure your toddler sees you reading at least occasionally if you don't like reading or have no time for it. Make reading material a fixture in your home. Minimize the amount of television that is watched by your toddler and by you. Studies have shown that families who watch less, read more.