How to get my 2 year old to like books more?

[posypoo]

Any advice?

I take my DD (who was 2 in April) to the library regularly (where she enjoys hiding behind the shelves, and running up and down the central staircase), read to her every night (jumps up and down on bed, refuses to let me hold the book, pretends to read it herself), and she gets read to at toddler groups (runs off and corrupts the other toddlers).

I just end up reading to her anyway while she goes off and does something else, mainly for me, to feel like I am doing my job and reading to her, but it's quite frustrating as I don't feel like she's getting anything out of it.

Is it just her age? When can I expect her to sit down with me and want to read, like I see other toddlers doing?! And any recommendations for books that might win her over?

when she wanders off do you pick up your own book and carry on reading ?
If she is looking at pictures in her book, are you looking at words in yours at the same time?

I usually carry on reading the book I am holding, and try to get her attention by showing her the picture. She'll maybe come back and have a quick look then wander off again. Or I'll try another book to see if that interests her more.

If she wants to read a different book I will look at the one she has, but usually she doesn't let me as she wants to pretend to read to me!

You could try books like 'calm down Boris' which have a puppet in it so she can interact with it.

My DD went through a stage where she wouldn't sit to hear a story. I turned story time into a read and respond type of game.

Couple of books I did this with are each peach pear plum (janet and Allan Ahlberg) where I read the first section eg "each peach pear plum I spy ...." and DD responds with the answer "Tom thumb". We run through the whole book this way.

Also, monkey and me (Emily Gravett) - I read "monkey and me.....we went to see some..." and she responds "elephants".

It's worked really well and she happily sits through two or three stories now.

I do similar to bookbird. I think the key is to find a story they really like and can join in with - I think the first Ds joined in with was peepo, he also loves each peach pear plum.

my point is that YOU have to show that reading is something desirable by doing it other than with her ...

I memorised Each Peach when my baby sister was born. She is 34 now.

completely agree this is normal for her age, so 1)show her that reading is fun by modelling - ie she sees you reading your own stuff for fun
2)try and find books she will concentrate on -favourite tv characters, puppets etc.

Agreed - and if you haven't made up your own tune to the song in 'The Smartest Giant in Town' and gone through a gazillion times saying 'where's baa baa black sheep?' - well, you should!

Thanks all. I'm glad to hear that it's normal for her age. I can't help comparing her to my niece who is 5 months older than her, but has always seemed much more interested in actually sitting down and reading. She is a joy to read to compared with my LO!

Both DH and I read lots too so hopefully that will get passed on.

Last night I was reading the Shirley Hughes nursery collection to her, and I stopped at the end of the poem lines and she did respond ('stop!' 'go!' etc). So the interaction is a great idea to carry on with. She sat down and read a Topsy and Tim book properly with me last night too, so a better night. Maybe I'll invest in some peppa pig books too!

Thanks for the suggestions of other books, I'll get some of those next month, and memorise a few for when she's being a monkey!

NB Charity shops are GREAT for kids books - let her spend a couple of quid per visit and you'll build up a library in no time.

Meh, I've struggled to get toddler DC into reading, in spite of being bookworm myself & attempting to read to them from babyhood. They have mostly turned into bookworms, too, eventually!!

Interactive books have been good, lift the flap, guess what's next, etc.
Substitute some silly word for every noun & verb, that often engages them.

Do you read stories as part of your bedtime routine? Books that are short and not too wordy are what suit my 19mo - he loves Where's That Monkey. We talk about the pictures as well as reading the words, and he's now at a stage where he points out the frogs and things I used to point out to him.

Thanks Talkin, most of our books are from charity shops or other people, but I have probably wasted money buying some from Amazon recently out of desperation. Yes, we 'read' every evening TheMighty - I'll take a look at that book, I have found the others on Amazon already! Glad your DCs liked books eventually Adventures! There are lots of books I am looking forward to reading with her so I'm just a bit impatient. She also doesn't do jigsaws, but that's another thread...

A bit late to this one, but have you tried Nick Sharratt books. DS loves

'Don't put your finger in the jelly nelly'
'I went to the zoopermarket'
'You choose'
'Octopus Socktopus'
'Moo Cow Kung Fu Cow'
'Elephant Jellyphant'

They are all really bright and funny with an interactive element. They are also nice and short but you can discuss the pictures and make it longer if you want to.

Also the Spot books were popular with DS and ones packed with pictures - we have some about trucks and tractors. And this one here is his current number 1 book.

DD loved this one as a toddler, as well as Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell and this one too.

Thanks R2! I have several Nick Sharratt and she does love them (currently she likes 'I don't like Peas' which she made me read six times on Saturday - result) so I may invest in some new ones, possibly I have just overread the others!

She also really likes Dear Zoo.

I think I have clocked this weekend that maybe I read to her too late in the evening. She doesn't go to sleep til really late (9ish) and so I take her up at about 8.15, but I'm thinking maybe I need to read to her at 7ish instead (or as well), which she still has the brain power.

I have also realised that she does seem to quite consistently like non-fiction books, eg about parks, food, shopping (appealing to her basic interests!)

Sounds like you have a good idea of where her tastes lie. With my DD (now almost 7 and a voracious independent reader) I made the mistake of thinking there were books she 'should' read, but neither of us enjoyed them much. Books like 'Guess How much I love you' etc. With DS I just let him choose, even if it meant reading the same books every night for months.

Another good one is 'The Ravenous Beast' (Niamh Sharkey) which is great for number, counting and making silly voices and noises. I have never bought in to the 'quiet' books for bedtime thing, mine love a bit of silliness before bed. We also love the pigeon books 'Don't let the pigeon drive the bus' and 'don't let the pigeon stay up late'. Oh and 'The Hairy Toe' by Postgate and 'The Little Mole who knew it was none of his business' and 'Polar bear polar bear what do you hear by eric carle' and 'George and the dragon' by Wormell and 'duck in the truck' by Jez alborough

Excuse the bad grammar etc, trying to get this out quickly before the DC go to bed

Maybe try Richard Scarry books, there are so many details in the pictures that it entertains my 2yr old ds and means we nearly always find something new despite the book having been read relentlessly!

Have you tried Coming Home - Peggylicious and The Do Good Dog Clan? If she likes dogs, she'll love this book and you can buy the little dog character in the book too so she can follow along with her own Peggy dog. The book is written in rhyme which will help with reading development and encourage her to join in. The book also has some of the words highlighted in pink to encourage children to join in and read along. www.peggylicious.me

Dd is two next month and has the atebtion span of a gnat but a few things have helped her focus on books. Choose ones to start with that don't have too many words per page as few toddlers have the patience to stare at a page for too long. Also choose books that you enjoy reading (I love Tabby mctat, Squash and a Squeeze, peepo and others with good rythm) and focus on quite a small selection for a few weeks rather than having lots to choose from. And what really has helped is moving all dd's books to a low shelf in our living room so that she can choose them herself and bring them over to read.

We had this too. But over the last 5 months (DS is now 2.5) it has improved. I found my son likes to be actively involved in the book, so I started with sticker books and then we moved on to the Nick Sharratt Lift the Flap Fairy Tale Books. He also now understands that the alternative to reading the story is going to bed. Which helps his concentration a great deal.