Reading to a child

[youareasyoungasyoufeel]

It's very hard to get my 19 month old to sit still and concentrate on me reading him a book. As he takes the book and walks off with it.. if I put him in the high chair and read to him then sometimes he will concentrate but other times he will want to get out!!

So my only other option is to read as I'm walking around so that he hears me but doesn't try and take the book of me but is that weird?

[youareasyoungasyoufeel]

Anyone?

[CaptainKirksSpikeyGhost]

Just sit and point to things in the pictures and talk about them. You don't have to read the words if he's not interested.
"Oh, look he has red wellies on, remember when we did that".

[youareasyoungasyoufeel]

Yes that's true but what if he still runs off with the book

[CaptainKirksSpikeyGhost]

It's his book, it's likely to be eaten or pulled apart, it'll be explored the way 1 year olds explore all their stuff.

[youareasyoungasyoufeel]

What I'm trying to say is I want to read to him as it's good for language but he keeps running off lol

If I read but he's not looking and I'm following him around reading, is he likely to be listening as he's doing something else

[CaptainKirksSpikeyGhost]

Talk to him about what he's doing instead.

It doesn't matter if the words you are saying are coming from a book or not, as long as you talk to him the result will be the same.

[youareasyoungasyoufeel]

I do talk to him but sometimes Cos he's so active it's more me talking in the background and hoping he's listening and not just playing. Does that count?

[CaptainKirksSpikeyGhost]

Everything counts.

[Witchend]

Sit there and read while he plays. Some children (and adults, me included) listen better when they've got something to fiddle with.
One day he'll be interested and come and plonk himself in your lap to see the pictures.

Ds was never especially interested in being read to at that age. he liked to look at pictures, but didn't find reading a book a good enough substitute for rushing round the garden collecting slugs.
However at 12yo he still likes a bedtimes story, whereas the girls, who were always happy to sit and listen from an early age, didn't want me reading to them from about 4 or 5.

[youareasyoungasyoufeel]

Ok thanks. I'm just trying to encourage his language/vocabulary