Reading .......

[Gribel]

Hi all

I have a confession to make: I'm having problems reading to my 11 month old son. :(

OK, it's NOT that I can't read, it's just the whole sitting down and reading that I can't bring myself to do. He has 2 books that he likes, one is just with Animals and what they are called, the other one is about a cat that he loves so much, he keeps eating the book!!!!!
What;s the best thing to do to overcome my issue?? I know this sounds stupid, and i do feel bad for not reading to him (guess the tv is just too convenient...) :o

Are there any books you can recommend??


Thanks :thumbsup:
Belinda

[drewid]

Hi there :)

My 12 month old doesn't like to sit still long enough to read. He has quite a few books, nice sturdy cardboard type ones and a few that have buttons that you can press to make animal noises etc. He loves them. He will sit down and play with them himself and look at the pictures and press the buttons. If he is in a frame of mind to sit still for awhile I will read whatever page he is on, but generally he prefers to do it all himself - very independent.

I wouldn't feel bad for not reading to him. Talking to him a lot is also a great way to encourage his language skills, so as long as you do that, you are doing great! I think the reading will get easier as your bub gets older and is more interested in listening and relating to the story and pictures, you know?

I am making an effort to teach him 'things' at the moment - you know, holding up a spoon and saying 'spoon'. He is much more interested in learning about real objects as opposed to pictures at the moment.

HTH :)

[Gribel]

Hi Nicole

thanks, it's good to hear that I am not the only one here with this problem. Riley is the same, he plays with his books and looks at them when he wants to (and tries to eat them occasionally) , and yes, I too am trying to teach him simple things like the feeding and naming the day to day things.

Thanks again :D

[Chickadee]

At that age I didn't really read books to DD. She wanted to turn pages faster than I could read usually. So I would just talk about the pictures on the pages or make up my own simple story.

Some of our favorites when DD was around 1 were:
- the small size Baby Einstein books (Babies, Cats, Dogs), or any smaller cardboard book. The small ones really are easier for bubs to hold and look through.
- I Was So Mad, by Mercer Myer. More for older kids but she liked it then too, and it's still a favorite.
- Tickle Time, Peter Rabbit. Put out by Warne Publishers, this is a hard book with a button to press which gives a giggle.
- A hard cloth book by TinyLove which has easy "stuff" to do on every page. DD enjoyed this from around 7 months.
- Any Maisie book
- Nursery rhyme books. Again, at 1 year old we didn't read the rhyme but would find things on the page and I'd encourage DD to point out the sheep, flowers, etc. So look for ones with nice pictures.
- Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss.

The Hungry Caterpillar or any by the same author are also good.


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[Gribel]

Hi Martha

Thanks for the tips, I will look out for them when I go shopping later !!!:thumbsup:

[Elfin]

Reading to young children is really important but not all will sit through a story till a bit older. Mine were about 18 months old. You can still encourage reading and a love of books at 11 months though. You don't have to read an entire story just look at the pictures together and explain what is happening or just say 'look there is a dog, he is playing'. Just even read a page or two it doesn't matter if you don't get through the entire book.

Reading is not only about understanding the text but about comprehension so you can read a book by just talking about the pictures. If your child sees you reading this is great too as they will see it as an important thing to do. I believe you can't read too much to a child, starting early is best. When your baby is older get him/her a library bag and go to the library and choose some books.

At 11 months I would recommend board books that have a word and a single picture like 'dog', cat, ABC books, colours, shapes and simple rhyming books. Even flashcards are good as they have a picture and word. Baby Einstein do some great flashcards with a clear picture and a word. Reading at home does make a big difference when your child gets to school, it is probably one of the best things a parent can do.

[Chickadee]

I'll second that Easterlily! I'm so proud to see how much my DD enjoys books and glad we encouraged her so early. Even a few minutes each day pays off later on.

I'd forgotten the flash cards, they're great too.

[Elfin]

Thanks Martha, you are right just a few minutes of reading is worthwhile. Where are the bubhub teachers? Do you have any more hints for us???

[maddymoo]

My sister is an early childhood teacher. She tells me all the time to read to my seven month old. I say - but she does'nt pay attention! she just wants to eat the book! and she says - Give her something to play with while you read. at this age they don't understand a story as such but they will love to hear the tone of your voice and watch your facial expressions. In time a baby will understand that a book has pictures and writting on it and so the understanding of story time will elvolve. She also reckons that if a child can recognise at least six nursery rhymes by the time they start school they already have alot of the simple language skills nessesary. So keep reading and singing to your little ones- even when they seem dis interested. It is surprising how much those little brains absorb!

[tash n jag]

I agree that reading to young children is really important. Not sure whether this is at all helpful but I brainstormed some thoughts....
.... It is also important that your child sees you reading. In particular, boys need to see a male role-model read.
.... Board books (made from thick durable cardboard) and bath / material books are fantastic to begin with.
.... Try placing several board books amongst your child's toy selection, allowing them to choose it to look at / turn pages. Treat them as a toy.
.... If your child won't sit still, continue to read out loud as they wander off. Just hearing your voice, the way you read and the language you use, is good.
.... Hearing the same text many times is important (don't feel like you have to keep changing books)
.... Kids CDs (such as Play School) are a great way to develop language. They are a great way to build a repertoire of songs and many encourage movement and actions. (Dance and move like nobody is watching!)
.... Interactive books such as feely books ("That's not my ...") and lift the flap books are wonderful for developing an interest in books.
.... Use funny voices, and change your pitch and volume throughout the text to make it interesting.

Keep going with it, your little one is gaining many skills just by you giving it a go. There are some fantastic children's books out there. Go to a town library and discover them together with your child. (Town libraries also have story sessions where they read out loud to your child). You may just get hooked on them. I know I got hooked on picture books several years ago and now I can't go past a book store without visiting the children's section (it sends my DH crazy).

[stilldreaming]

I'm with the other gals....I think it is so important as well. I read to Cooper from a very early age and now he loves his books. He is a VERY busy little boy but is still more than happy to sit for 5-10 minutes for story time. I read to him in the morning when he wakes up, after his daytime nap and before bed. Also at various times throughout the day if he brings a book to me.

I found when he was younger the best place to read to him was in the bath...he seemed to pay more attention then. Also as the others have said just talk about the pictures or the sounds the animals make etc.

Good Luck!

[Miaow]

I read to EJ and she loves it - she even tries to look at the words and scans the pictures LOL She does though attmpt to turn the pages (in a group ) while im reading lol but she seems to enjoy it even at 4 months:)

[Chickadee]

Yay Cathyn! A great time to be starting reading :) DD now "reads" her books to her dolls and has a few of the simpler ones memorized.

[bubbles28]

My DS LOVES his books. We have story time every morning and night. His favourite books are the ones that have flaps to lift and touchy feely things.
When he was a bit younger, to get him to concentrate I would put him in his rocker and strap him in (not force him). That way he was happy to sit and listen for up to 20mins.
He has just stated to enjoy singing songs. His fav ones are the action songs like "twinkle twinkle" and "open shut them", he even does some of the actions!
Anything that encourages language development is great.

[sare]

I have to agree that it's important that you read to kids from an early age. I have read to dd since she was born. She is 18 mths old and absolutely adores reading books and being read to. Her favourites are Where is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox (which you can now get as a board book) and Moo, Baa, La La La. She joins in reading with them now. There are 2 books which you can read that have to do with reading to children, they are both easy reads and are very informative. Reading Magic by Mem Fox and The Reading Bug...and how to help your child catch it by Paul Jennings (this one is quite funny and recommends books for different age levels). Hope that helps.

[the_queen]

(a little off-topic)

I think it's interesting how our early reading habits can influence us for life.
I was read to HEAPS as a child, and was also given Storytime read-along tapes, so as soon as I was old enough to hold the (gigantic) books by myself, I would listen and read along every single night. Then as soon as I could read by myself, I would read every night in bed for about half an hour, longer as I got older. I only stopped this habit when I left home, but now am back into it and read every night in bed.

I think that this lifelong connection between reading and bedtime has caused the following problem: Every single time I read to Vallerie, I yawn uncontrollably. Just about every page. I yawn and yawn and yawn and yawn. I don't feel tired, I don't need to rest afterwards. I just cannot stop myself from yawning while I'm reading to her.
Strange, aren't I. :rolleyes:

[mum2peanut]

I'm a teacher and I would definately recommmend reading to your child. My dh and I already read to Peanut, obviously bubs hears a lot of stories from me reading at school too.
Make reading a fun thing to do, not a chore. Chn who think of reading as work will struggle with it.
Looking at pictures is very important. Pictures tell children what they story is about, that's how chn initially learn to read. Once they are a bit older it's even a good idea to get books with no words so they can invent the story from the picture.
Repetitive books are good also, most kindergarten reader are things like- I like swiiming, I like cooking, I like playing etc. That ways they start to recognise the repeated words.
I personally read before going to sleep and plan to read to my children at night as part of their bed routine. Hopefully then it's something they will carry on themselves. Do funny voices and use lots of expressions, kids love it!!

[Jackson84]

i know how you feel! for some reason i just feel 'silly' sitting down and reading to my DS. he is now 16 months old. :confused:

i try to read to him - anyway he will take it, and if i can get him to sit still. we have a cabnet full of books, and i made a rule that rather than letting him just pull all of them out and make a mess, i would stop him once he had picked one, and read it to him. however, DH didnt really follow the instructions, so out of frustration i locked the cabnet and now he doesnt pull the books out!

ayee. :rolleyes:

im not doing very well for somebody studying to be an english teacher... LOL

[Gems]

My DD (2.5) LOVES books. She always wants to read.
She has a comfy little chair next to "her" bookcase and it's amazing how often she sits and reads (or rather thinks she's reading).
She often makes up her own version according to the pictures and with some she recites them word for word, especially her "That's not my......" (Truck, Dolly, Dog) books.
Obviously I have always read to her, but it was never a huge amount. Probably an average of 3 (short) books a day.
I still read to her, more now than ever but she has this great area that she considers her own and she loves to sit there reading and let's not forget stacking her books, once she's done.

[chloenmum]

I love to read and can only hope my little chookie will learn to love it, too. I started reading to her when she was only 3 months of age. Now, at 8 months, I find that she's able to sit in my lap and listen to the story... she looks and touches the pages of the book, talk while i'm reading. I've been reading cloth books to her eg Fluffy chicks and friends, Squishy turtle and friends, etc. by PRIddy Books series. They're excellent books as I can also wash them when needed. Now, we've started to read picture books and big books.

'guess it's second nature to me to read as i'm a school teacher... but for those of you who are eager to learn how, here are some ideas/tips:

* use finger puppets, hand puppets while reading your stories.
* for the older kids: do/complete a craft activity related to the book you've just read, point to the word as you read, predict story, ask questions.
* point to pictures while you're reading.
* experiment with your own voice - be very expressive! :eek: use soft, loud, deep voices. kids love it when they hear you sound scary or excited.
* plastic/bath books are great, but i don't read them to her in the bath, as i want to teach her that books stay dry! i've heard stories of children placing books in the water 'coz they've seen mum do it. up to you!
* read books by Eric Carl, eg The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
* join your local library and borrow books instead of purchasing them all the time.

Most of all, ENJOY, ENJOY, ENJOY!!! :smiliedance: Oh, and there is nothing wrong with watchinga bit of tv either. I'm guilty of playing a DVD einstein for half an hour each day so I can do stuff around the house - like, having a shower or cooking dinner!!!! We love our tv, cin and chloe.

If you'd like more ideas, don't hesitate to ask...;)

[Charlie's Mum]

I recently read a really interesting book called Freakonomics that has a chapter on what makes for an intelligent and well adjusted child, and it turns out that reading to your kid is not as important as actually having lots of books around the house. I guess the idea being that if they see you reading or are surrounded by books they will take note and books will grow to play an important role in their life. There is no denying the importance of books for education, encouraging the development of a good imagination etc so I suggest giving yourself less of a hard time about the actual reading to your baby part and just make sure you have lots of books around the house. It probably wouldn't hurt you to start reading yourself. If you want some recommendations I work with books for a living so you can ask me and i'll give you a list of must reads that will have you hooked in no time.

Having said all that making time to read to your baby can only be good for him and eventually if you pick the right books you'll both enjoy your time together. I say turn trips to the library into a fun event and they will learn to associate reading with good times. And that can't be bad. :yes:

[kymmy]

I admit I had trouble reading to my firstborn
I just don't enjoy reading much myself
But hubby does
I think that is why
She is such a good reader now

I think I know the value of books more now
I would rather buy my kids good quality books than toys.

[greengreen]

Jack (10months) loves Hairy Maclary and Slinky Malinky books by Lynley Dodd. We have the board books, which make them really hard wearing. He will often sit and look through them by himself. When we read them together we might read them two or three times in a row. Important things are rhythm, rhyme and repetition.

Mem Fox has already been mentioned. Her books are great and so is her web site, and has examples you can listen to of her reading (her own books) and a suggested reading list. I found listening to her read gave me a good example of how to read to someone so little they don't understand the story, but they do hear the ups and downs, and excitement etc from how you read.:)