Reading for toddlers

"My baby doesn't understand me, telling them stories is pointless".

Wrong! Indeed, your baby is constantly learning about the world around them, including language. Introducing reading as part of the bedtime routine helps initiate your child into their mother tongue — the very language they were already hearing whilst tucked away in mummy's tummy.

Even if your child is only 3 or 4 months old, they can take an interest in books because they can touch them. To make your baby's development fun, we use the "reading challenge" method.

But what exactly is a reading challenge? The principle is simple: ask questions that prompt reflection. This way, your child can learn, wonder, and discover all sorts of things!

Of course, this method will differ depending on the child's age. We'll walk you through it all!

Reading for 3 to 12 months

Yes, we know — during their first months, a baby will tend to play with the book. Turn it every which way, bang on it, throw it, open it, close it... That's perfectly normal, they're exploring. Letting them discover the book in their own way heightens their curiosity. It's up to you to observe and see what catches their attention: which images, words, or textures intrigue them. From these observations, you can name and point them out whilst asking your baby to do the same.

Play the "theatre performance" card. Yes, it will delight some and leave others less enthused, but expressive reading has its advantages. Make sounds, make movements. As the months go by, don't hesitate to connect images to real objects — your baby will be able to draw the link with their toys. To round things off, you can ask simple questions like: "Who ate all the hay?", "Where is their comfort toy?"...

Reading for 12 months to 3 years

From the age of 1, a child learns to look, to turn pages, and to take pleasure when you read them a story. They start developing their vocabulary and understanding that they share this daily moment with you.

Encourage them along this path by letting them choose the story of the day: their interest will increase. Reading the text aloud will allow them to hear a varied vocabulary. However, if they don't understand, express yourself with your own words — the ones they're used to hearing every day.

Bear in mind, though, that a 3-year-old's concentration span is between 5 and 15 minutes. The younger they are, the shorter their attention span. It is therefore strongly advised to adapt to their pace and not to continue the story if they lose interest!

Capturing their attention can be achieved by adapting stories with names that are familiar to them (family, friends...). In fact, the core of the reading challenge is the child's participation. The older they grow, the more capable they become of thinking, questioning, and concentrating.

And for children over 3 years old, how do we go about it?

Reading stories allows your child to understand the emotions they may feel. They can also learn social rules such as cleanliness, kindness, respect... But for this, as you'll have guessed, your child needs to understand the stories you tell them.

How? By establishing 3 stages to reading:

1) The "before"

In order to spark curiosity and intrigue your child, you must first have them look at the cover and the illustrations in the book.

You can ask them a few questions to prepare them for reading:

- How do you imagine this story?

- What is the story about?

2) The "during"

During reading, we use the same principle as for younger children — follow the words with your finger so that your child stays attentive. Don't forget to pause the story when they ask you questions or make comments.

Don't hesitate to ask them questions about the pictures or the text as well, as this will improve their comprehension:

- Who are the characters?

- What is the problem in this story?

3) The "after"

When the story is finished, ask your child to retell it in their own words. This stage will help them develop critical thinking, give them an opportunity to recall the vocabulary used, and exercise their memory. Also ask them to distinguish between what they had imagined and what the story actually tells.

Download the reading challenge below, which will allow you to put everything we've just discussed into practice!