Tips for reading with your baby or toddler

Amy Burkholder is the Bookmobile manager for Cass County Public Library. Her daughter is one of the library’s youngest library card holders! Amy shared some of her ideas for introducing babies and pre-readers to the joy of books.

Getting kids ready to read doesn’t have to be difficult. Even the youngest babies are primed to learn. Share cloth or board books with high contrast pictures, books with faces, or books with interactive aspects (touch and feel books, or lift the flap books). Most of these books can be enjoyed in ten minutes or less. Share nursery rhymes and silly songs with babies. Use different voices and sounds for each character. Don’t worry if your child wants to read the same book over and over again! If she enjoys one book, she can learn to enjoy others!

Older children love to take picture walks. All you have to do is look at the pictures. Read the title to him, show him the cover, and ask what he thinks the story is about. Then go through page by page, looking only at the pictures. Describe the pictures, or have him describe the pictures, and tell you what is happening, or predict what might happen next.

We hope to see you and your little one on the Bookmobile or at any of the library branches!

Amy Burkholder, Bookmobile manager