responding to a 19-month old's interest in reading - advice please

[OldieMum]

DD is 19 months old. She talks a lot, has been read to a lot and likes looking at books. In the last few days, she has started pointing to words (on her bottle, on a grocery list etc) and saying 'read it'. I have no wish at all to push her towards beginning to learn letters etc, but wonder what other people have done to respond to their child's interest in reading at this age. Some fun ideas for learning letters and/or words would be helpful.

Recognising shapes and logos can be fun for a child this age, and will help later literacy skills, without being too heavy/pushy at an early age. I was reminded the other day that at this age ds1 'learned' all the badges/logos of car manufacturers and enjoyed spotting them on parked cars or on journeys!

Definitely read the words to her when she takes an interest.

My two always liked those magnetic letters that you can stick on the fridge. I think because they can actually pick up the letters and study them. My little one likes to put them all on the floor, but then picks them up one at a time and asks me what the letter is and then she says it as she puts it back on the fridge. You can do a similar thing with alphabet jigsaw puzzles. My two also have a couple of toys with their names on like this , and being able to manipulate the letters really helps them learn, and they enjoy it.

I don't believe it's pushing a child to work with them on something like letters when they have a genuine interest in it and enjoy it. And she's so young. That's great.

Oh, just thought of another thing I did with my eldest when she was two. We made an alphabet book. I cut out all sorts of pictures from magazines and catalogs and collected photos of peole she knew. I bought some big pieces of card and we did one letter at a time. I would write the letter (upper case and lower case) in the middle of the piece of card and I would talk about the sound that letter makes. Then we would stick pictures beginning with that sound on the paper and I would write the words, and she would draw on the card too. This activity was something she loved and looked forward to, partly because it was at a time when I was either pregnant or had a new baby and we got to have some good quality time together. When we had done all 26 letters I strung all the pieces of card together to make a book, and she spent hours looking at it, and showed it to anyone who came to visit.

I really should do something similar with my now 2 year old...

My DD has been the same and she adores books. We read to her from birth and now at 2y 4m she still loves reading books. She also loves the ideas of letters and numbers. She has the Letterland book showing the letters and will spend ages 'reading' it and recognises a few of the characters now. I agree that shapes and patterns too can be fun activities too, and all help towards development. Have fun!

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My dd (26 months) loves her box of letters which she touches, sorts, matches, names a few of them and also the Jolly Phonics finger phonics book where she can trace the letter shape, name the things in the pictures and do the action to the phonics. She also loves having the same story read over and over again so she can "read" the words, i.e. finish off some of the sentences from memory.

Go with the flow. Dd was very interested in letters and by the time she was 2 knew her alphabet and would point out letters in signs etc. Just make it part of the play of reading and stop as soon as she gets bored.

By 3 dd was starting to spell out phonetic words, at this point I made sure I was doing things the same way as the school and they were happy for us to continue.

It wasn't a case of her being hot housed, I just followed where she wanted to go, and I think that is the key.

At that age both mine started to recognise logos especially Lego and McD's and then individual letters . It really as much demonstrates a developing awareness of the world around them as specific literacy prowess.

ds had a Vtech Phonics desk, which pronounces the letter sound and/or name or a word beginning with that sound, from about 21 months. Probably the best input you can have is to read simple and repetitive books with her - ones that use rhyme, rhythm and alliteration are really popular - she'll soon start "reading" the pictures and pages herself. ds used to love trips to the library too. Some of the simple games such as Shopping game from ELC or Orchard Toys can be used by toddlers too with simple picture and word matching.

Whatever you choose to do make sure it is very much a game and led by her attention span and interest.

DS2 is very into the tesco's logo for some reason, spots it everywhere and gets very cross if we go to Sainsbury's. We were rather horrified he was so brand concious! Thank god he's hardly ever (never?) been near a McDonald's (not because I'm earth mother- we just can't take ds1 there).

lol at your ds2 jimjams
my ds loves the asda logo - spotted one on a van parked on the scottish border last month!!!

DD2's first recognised words were Boots and Asda, from the logos on pots of petroleum jelly - I think she was between 2 and 3 at the time but can't remember now.

Not sure that is reading exactly but never mind!