photo credit: eyeliam

Reading to children can start as early as you want.  There is never an age that won’t benefit from the sweet sound of mommy’s voice, grandma’s cuddling, or the special qualities that daddy brings to story time. So, cuddle up with your little love and share a good book on a regular basis.

But how do you get that little wiggle worm to sit still to hear the story?  By having realistic expectations of the experience and adjusting for age and individuality.

A  three year old may be great at picking out the book he wants to read, but don’t be surprised if he changes his mind several times before he settles on one.  That’s okay, he’s learning to make choices.

To keep his or her attention you may have to pull out all the stops:

• Use voices for different characters.
• Gesture and use dramatic or silly facial expressions.
• Ask questions about the pictures, “What do you think will happen next?”
• Engage the child in the phrases that repeat throughout the story.
• When he loses interest, don’t take it personally.
• Keep in mind that reading to a child provides an opportunity for a warm, loving, positive connection to books, reading, stories, and you.  So keep it fun . 
• Don’t expect to always finish the book in one setting, just read a bit at a time.  Let their attention span be your guide.