Research shows that helping a toddler learn to read early on is extremely beneficial. In fact, a 3 year old’s vocabulary is a strong indicator of how successful he or she will be when reading in the first grade. Additionally, his or her reading skills and vocabulary comprehension predict how well they will perform in the 11thgrade. Overall, teaching a toddler to read at an early age stimulates his or her intellectual development and helps them become smarter.
Children are naturally very imaginative, creative, and capable human beings. While it is commonly believed that toddlers have an extremely short attention span, the truth is that when you really analyze them, it is obvious that they love to learn. For children, learning is a craving, an enjoyable activity, and often viewed as a form of playing.
It is not unusual for us to hand a rattle, toy blocks, cars, or stuffed animals to a child when we need to get something accomplished. Of course, within minutes, they have thrown it aside and are on to something new. For adults, this simply reaffirms the thought that kids have short attention spans, but this isn’t really the case.
When you hand a child a new toy, they unusually pick it up, turn and flip it around, and examine it. In some cases, they may even try to smell it or lick it in an attempt to determine how it smells or tastes. What are they doing? They are learning. They are using their five senses-seeing, smelling, hearing, touching, and tasting- to learn anything they can about the toy. Within minutes, they have learned all they believe they can and simply throw it aside. As long as there is something left to be learned, the child will hold onto the toy and continue to happily play with it. They love to learn!
Teaching Your Toddler to Read at Home
All of the information above was used to point out how much children love to learn. As a result, teaching your toddler his or her ABC’s and how to read at an early age is perfect. It’s a time in their life when they are not resistant to learning, plus they find it challenging and engaging.
Why Should You Teach Your Toddler to Read at Home?
Honestly, you are the best teacher for your child. You really know your child and when a teacher truly knows his or her student, things tend to go well. While you may not believe it, teaching a toddler to read is not that difficult. It only takes about 10 to 15 minutes of your time daily, as well as routine read aloud sessions.
The primary problems parents face is how to go about teaching their toddler to read. If you have a desire to teach your toddler to read, you simply need a simple, yet effective step by step reading program. The teaching process we use in our step by step program is ideal for teaching young children how to read well.