FAQs ABOUT READING WITH YOUR CHILDREN

Should I keep reading if my child doesn’t seem to be listening?
Yes, at least sometimes, because your child could be listening even while
they are doing something else.  Other parents have found that a child
who doesn’t seem to be listening may suddenly come over to you to
see a picture that you have mentioned or will comment on something
you just read.  On a second reading of a book, your child may start to
repeat the words, remembering from the last time you read the story.

What if my child won’t sit still on my lap?
Many parents find that their children can play quietly and listen. They find
it is a better experience to let the child play quietly on the floor or sit on
another bed and listen than to struggle with the child sitting on their lap. 
They make a deal with the child that as long as they are quiet, they
can be where they are most comfortable.

What if my child just wants to play with the book and not let me read it?
That's fine, because your child is learning how books work.  Books have pages
that turn; each page has a different picture, and they open and close. 
Some researchers have also said that young children go through a period
where they actually learn more through their sense of taste than other senses
and that is why everything goes in their mouths, including the book. 
While your child is playing with the book, point out something about the picture
on the pages. Then, if your child pauses, you can read the words on the page
or talk about the picture in more detail. (“Oh, there is a dog.  It looks like a
brown dog. That is a big dog, isn’t it?”)  Don’t worry that you are not reading
the pages in order; that will come.

What if my child won’t have anything to do with books?
That's fine.  A lot of the play that you do with your child is getting them ready
to read.  Pushing a car back and forth from left to right, and learning about shapes helps them get ready to identify letters. What is an ‘A’, if not a triangle? 
What is a word if not a pattern, so playing with patterns gets them
ready to recognize the patterns of words. 

 

Remember, you can read:

• In the bath
• In the doctor’s waiting room
• On the bus
• During dinner (if you are not eating)
• At the playground, for a rest break
• During breakfast
• Before the school bus comes
• During after-school snack time
• While riding in the grocery cart