18-36 Months:
Learning to Love Books

When toddlers are introduced to the magic of books, they develop a love of reading that can last a lifetime. Language is the foundation for literacy, and you can help your toddler get ready for reading by incorporating listening and talking into everyday activities. Even though children are still developing language, reading is very important at this age. When you read to your toddler, you help her to learn about new words and concepts, learn letters, and learn about the way the printed word works. Reading to your toddler, talking about books and the printed word as much as possible, and providing many opportunities for her to experiment with writing will help her get ready to read.

Your toddler is a natural explorer, and his curiosity sparks the development of language, reading, and writing. He listens intently to adults in order to learn new words, is interested in the way language works, and experiments with using new grammar when he speaks. Toddlers love adults to read stories aloud, and they especially like to hear the same stories repeatedly. By listening to stories over and over again, your toddler learns about the way stories are built, which will help him as he gets closer to being a reader and writer.

You can help your toddler become a reader and writer by incorporating talking and reading into everyday activities. Simple actions like looking at signs as you ride the bus, looking for letters at the grocery store, reading a rhyming book together, or making a books of photos and talking about the pictures will help your child develop the language skills on which literacy is built. Learn more ways you can support your toddler as he moves towards literacy.