I love reading to my son. We read together every night.
As he gets older, he seems to really enjoy reading and even brings me books to read him. He definitely has favorites!
Here are 5 tips to reading to your 2 year old:
Use your Voice – Make animal voices, tongue clicking and raspberries, your kid will love them all.
Visit the Library – Start taking your baby to the library early. Once she can hold books offer her a selection of books and see which one she chooses.
Be a Role Model – Let your kid see you read and often. One of the best ways to build literacy in kids is show them how much you love to read.
Phot Album – Create a photo album that you can put pictures into. As you “read” the album, say the person’s name several times and tell of fun things they like to do with that person.
Find Books – Get books on any subject that your little ones shows interest in whether its vehicles, dogs or flowers.
Here are 10 of my favorite books to read to my 2 year old:
Beautiful Blackbird – The retelling of a traditional African tale of people of Zambia is set long ago when of all the brightly colored birds of Africa, only Blackbird wore the color black. This retelling of an African tale will engage your little one. The author and illustrator was honored with his second Coretta Scott King Award for this book.
Kitten’s First Full Moon – Sitting on the stairs, little Kitten sees what she takes to be a small bowl of milk in the night sky, but try as she might, she cannot get to it. Your little one will connect Kitten and her dilemma. This tale is uncluttered and direct and the strength and sturdiness of the story with one character and a single focus.
Why Epossumondas Has No Hair – When Epossumondas asks Mama why he has no hair on his tail, she tells him the story of his great-great-grandpa, in the time when all possums had little powder puff tails. This southern folktale is refined to perfection. There is nothing of concern in this finely enhanced interpretation of a popular folktale.
Moon Plane – A young boy watches a plane pass overhead and wonders what it would be like to fly to the moon. The soft, nostalgic artwork is beautifully done. This is a sweet, inventive picture book.
Goodnight Moon – As a fire crackles in the fireplace and the moon rises in a wintry night sky outside the windows of his bedroom, a young rabbit is settles down for the night. This is the ultimate going-to-bed book has stood the test of time. This book has been a favorite of kids and parents for generations since it was originally published.
Whistle for Willy – When Peter sees an older boy whistling for his dog, he wants to learn to whistle too. In this charming classic, a boy learns to whistle for his pup. In this sweet story about a boy and his dog – and mastering the tricky art of whistling – Keats nails the child’s point of view so skillfully that the book feels as fresh and charming as it did when it was first published.
I Lost My Bear – A little girl loses her favorite stuffed toy. The text and pictures work together perfectly. This comic-style pictures and hysterical text keep kids interested.
The Story of Ferdinand – Ferdinand is a bull who’d rather smell the flowers than fight. This warmhearted and well-told classic will charm kids. This gently and timeless tale coupled with expressive pen-and-ink drawings that show Ferdinand’s sweet personality and have made Ferdinand a true classic.
Not a Box – With a stretch of his imagination, a bunny transforms something as simple as a cardboard box into an adventurous situation. Bunny uses his box to imagine adventures in this mind-opening tale. This award winning book will delight your little one from start to finish.
Move Over Rover – Kids will love the predictability and scare-free tension. This award winner is especially fun to read aloud. This is a delightful rhyming picture book.