How much do you read with your 14 month old?

[Linguaphile]

Just curious, as I find it hard with my nearly 14-month-old twins to read more than a book or two in the day and then one together at night. Is that enough? All I ever seem to hear is that reading loads to babies at this age is vital to their language development... mine just seem to want to look at the pictures and babble right now--they actually get angry at me if, having brought over a book to show me, I then try to take it off them to read to them. They'd rather carry it around and look at the pictures than sit on my lap and have me read it. They know about 10 words, I'd say... simple stuff like mama, dada, yes, no, hi, bye-bye, wats'at?, 'woof', nana, etc. Is that a normal amount?

I've not really been focusing much on structured input generally at the moment as they're very happy to potter around the house playing together, though I do get down on the floor to chat with/play with them if they seem like they want some interaction. I suppose I just worry about the whole twins and language delay thing. They seem bright in a lot of ways (early milestones, friendly, confident, good motor skills, etc), so I guess I'm just wondering if there's more I should be doing so that I'm not the weak link in their development!

That is reading at this stage.... lots of bold clear pictures, that you can name, and they can echo what you say, or 'find' what you say.
Pictures of animals, that you can make the noise and then they copy this is when you find out you don't know what noise some animals make.

Language development is all about dc hearing language, and you repeating things they are trying to say, in your reply, to model it again, or, once they are getting single words, then you extend it.... so, you see a cat, they point and say "at" you say "Yes, a cat".....once they can say "cat" you say "The big cat" (or tabby, or black or whatever description you like), or "The cat's on the car" or whatever is appropriate.

You don't need to sit and expect them to follow a story - I'm amazed to are doing as much as you are with twins of that age!

At this age it seems what interests them is picture books, where there are just pictures of items/animals and you name them.

In about two weeks or a months time, if you ask them where the monkey is for example, they'll be able to point to it

My DD has tonnes of books but only wants to do ones where we are either naming things or singing (like five little monkeys jumping on the bed book).

Reading a book or two a day with them is good I think. My DC is being raised bilingual so we have a mix of language books, we also have a range of 'ages'

DD (also 14 months) is obsessed with her books at the moment. She chooses one and brings it over, sits while I read it, then cries when it's finished if I don't immediately start it again. I think we read 'what the ladybird heard' 6 times in a row this morning. But she doesn't have anything like 10 words. She can maybe say 5 words, although she understands more than that, and will point out cats and mice in her books if I ask her to.

Basically, I think they're all different. Your twins sound like they're doing really well (and so do you!).

I have a ten month old and feel happy if I manage to fit in a couple of books a day. Have older dc as well, so not a great deal of time.

One thing I found with dc1 at that age was to settle them with milk or something and read before his nap, he concentrated on a much longer 'story' (still a simple picture book) when he was drinking the milk at the same time.

Otherwise, as above, 'reading' is just discovering and enjoying books and pictures at that age.

They will also pick up language from you just talking to them. Doesn't need to be read off a page.

Oh gosh Wishingwell, they love What the Ladybird Heard! That's one of the few they'll sit through... that and all the other Julia Donaldson 'lift the flap' books most of which are completely flap-less now. I guess I was just was hoping they'd be moving toward wanting actual plots... though sounds like pictures and noises are still the way forward. Sigh.

Thanks for the encouragement, all!

A concept of plot is not something they are going to develop for a while! I go to the library at least twice a week so that at least I am reading different mind-numbing stuff , or make my older kids read to the little one.

At that age DS was more interested in hurling the books across the room. By the time he was 2 he would bring me a book and we'd read 2 or 3 at bedtime, him listening avidly.

Don't push it if they're not interested. They'll get there once their concentration span lengthens.

My 18 month old is fascinated by books, but it is only in the last month that he will sit with me and read a story together. He will now point at objects in the book and trace his fingers over the words

We have quite a lot of flap-less books too.
Anything by Julia Donaldson seems to be a success here. The gruffalo is another favourite for the first couple of readings, then she loses interest as I start to lose my voice from doing my gruffalo impression too enthusiastically.

I had Peace at Last and Whatever Next when dc1 was about that age, they are good 'first story' ones as they have a lot of familiar things, and are comfortingly repetitive without being rhymey-whymey.

I found at 18 months the book thing really kicked in, as in actual interest in being read to (repeatedly). But, yes, Julia Donaldson is a staple for quite a long time I'm afraid, they get different things out of it at different ages.

We were on the same favourites for quite a while, now 3.5 the turnover of books in our house is a lot greater, we get loads out of the library and they are all rotated at bedtime for two weeks then more, so it keeps it interesting for both of us. This early stuff can be repetitive but it does pay off later.

I'm looking forward to it all again with dc2

you can have several painting books with stories so they get to paint first before you start to read. It will give them the interest to listen to what will happen to the characters they have put colors on.

Ds is 13 months and has an attention span of about 30 second with any books, much to my dismay. Like others above, he's more interested in carrying it round with him. He does like the "that's not my monster" series and know exactly where to touch, his other favourite is "Dear Zoo". Can't possibly imagine him getting close to understanding anything with a plot!!!!!!

At 2.5 DD1 still likes a lot of picture books. The scanning of the page to find the picture to match the word is good for their development. She is just about getting into story books now. She and DS2 both love books. DS1 on the other hand despite being read to daily still not that bothered and much prefers nonfiction.

I've read to my 19mo from day 1 but so far have managed to finish two stories without her either walking off to fetch a different one or turning the pages.

She does have a good vocabulary though, can do about 15 animal sounds/actions and knows a few numbers and colours so although the stories haven't appeared to go down well she's definitely picked up a lot more than I realised.

When dd was 14 months I looked at 'flap' style books or the Thats Not My series - books where there was something to touch, feel or open on the pages. I don't think dd was really interested in narrative at that age even though she liked books. She wanted to participate, not just be read too.
We also started looking at basic picture books about 'opposites' or 'colours' etc. as her language developed.

We never read usually more than 2-3 books at the end of the day before bathtime (though dd is at nursery so has reading time during the day there too).

Boca: I think Dear Zoo is my favourite :)