Stepping Into Books

Toddlers spend most of their time playing; and they love to play at things they see grown-ups do. For example, if your child sees you reading, you can bet he will pretend to read, too. Toddlers learn much while they play. You have probably seen your toddler practice skills over and over while playing: making a toy car speed down a ramp, putting toys in containers and dumping them out again, throwing a ball and then running to get it. Children also experiment with new skills while they play: they try to put on their clothing or try to fit objects into holes.

Children seem naturally motivated to learn while they are playing. Because of this, we can help them learn literacy skills by joining them at play. Here are some ways you can play with your toddler that will help your child practice and learn literacy skills. And, remember to have fun yourself while you are teaching your child!

Act Out Simple Stories. Use toys and stuffed animals to act out stories such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears . Act out other stories by asking your toddler to play a part. Most children love being The Gingerbread Man and getting chased. This kind of activity teaches children that the ideas we read about can live on and enrich our lives. You will find other suggestions for stories to act out in the booklist, Simple Stories.

Invite Your Child to Pretend to Read. When your child has heard a book several times, ask him if he would like to "read" it to you or to someone else. Many toddlers like to pretend read to their dolls and stuffed animals when they put them to bed. The booklists in this guide include good choices for children to pretend read: Predictable Books, Point and Say Books, Rhyme and Song Books.

Invite Your Child to Help As You Read. Children practice what they see, so it is important for your child to see you reading. Your child can have fun helping you find words as you read, if you make it seem like a hide-and-seek game. Be sure to praise your child for being a "good reader." There are many ways your child can join you as you read:

• Ask your child to help you find a particular food in the grocery store flyer or on the store shelf: "Can you help me see where the fruits are?" "Can you find the box of (your child's favorite cereal)?"



• Ask your child to help you read public print: Say, "Will you help Mommy look for the Stop signs? I don't want to miss them!"



• Ask your child to help you find parts of the newspaper: weather report, TV guide, sports scores, and movies. Point to some of the words or letters and tell your child what they say.

Make and Play With Rhythm Instruments. You can make shakers from almost any empty container. Spoons and pot lids make great rhythm instruments, too. Toddlers who are learning to march and stomp and, in general, make noise, love prancing around to the rhythm of these instruments. Sing and chant poems while you march around. While you play with your child you can teach the difference between loud sounds and soft sounds. You can also teach the difference between fast and slow beats.

Add Literacy Play to Routines. Sing and say rhymes to your child while you are changing diapers, dressing, or hand washing. Try the alphabet song or counting: "Mommy will count to ten while you soap your hands. Don't stop until I get to ten." "Let's sing the alphabet song while we wait for the light to turn. I wonder what letter we will get up to."

Play at Writing and Making Pictures. Toddlers enjoy scribbling. They learn to control their arm movements while they scribble. That is a good foundation for learning to write later. Make sure your child has materials for scribbling: non-toxic crayons or markers, large sturdy paper, sidewalk chalk, watercolors. Young toddlers like to scribble just to see what kinds of marks they can make. As they learn more control, they make circles and lines that look like letters, numbers, or pictures.

Many toddlers don't make pictures, though. Instead, they just play with line, color and shape. Along the way they learn to control their finger and arm muscles; and they learn to distinguish shapes and lines from one another. It takes time and practice to learn this control. Try to give your child a chance to play with writing and drawing materials regularly. Have you invited your toddler to color and paint to soft music on a rainy day? It might be relaxing for both of you!

If your older toddler is ready to make pictures and marks that stand for something, you can write and draw together. Try some of these activities with your child:

• Make simple pictures that are related to stories you read together: scribble a forest for the three bears to go walking in, paint a pool of water for a frog to swim in, color a mud puddle for a pig to wallow in.



• Make pictures of favorite people or animals. Make a simple face with eyes, nose and mouth. Use straight lines for arms and legs.



• Print your child's name at the bottom of pictures and say that now everyone will know who made it. Over time, guide your child (hand over hand) in printing his name himself. Be sure to make large, simple letters so that your child can see them clearly.



• Let your child join you as you write. Let him sign his name to greeting cards, or write on your grocery list: "Make two lines here to remind Mommy that we need two boxes of cereal."