2 year old not interested in reading

[Cheesenacho123]

My 2yr old son (he’s only just turned two) loves to play and turn pages of books but when it comes to reading any book he just isn’t interested for example he’ll jump up and down in his cot whilst screaming excitedly but doesn’t sit or stand to listen or even look at the pictures, if he’s on my knee then he’ll be off my knee within the first two minutes and goes off running out the room. More often than not he’ll try shut the book if he’s sat on my knee like he just isn’t interested.

I just don’t know how to get him engaged with reading with me and his dad so he can learn more words and start small sentences as reading was recommend to encourage talking to progress since I feel he’s struggling or just not bothering (not sure which) to communicate with us or anyone. I get what he wants from noticing his actions and noises and various small words but he just won’t point or tell me what he wants, if he gets frustrated because I can’t understand him he ends up on the floor screaming and in tears.

Has a health professional suggested that there is a problem with his progress?

At literally just turned two, do not be concerned about him not wanting to read.

Have you got lift the flap, that’s not my (puppy, kitten, tiger etc) and the push button books that make noises? Nursery rhymes or the ‘you’re not so scary Sid’ puppet books (telling stories with puppets) - books had to be interactive at 2 to get any interest.

I don’t think you mean reading, you are asking about how to develop his language.

I am surprised that reading was recommended as way to help your ds be more verbal, who recommended it?

My ds couldn't talk at 2 and it was intensely frustrating for him and me. There were lots of tears and anger when I couldn't understand what he wanted.
We just babbled a lot and talked about everything. A full on running commentary about everything. Lots of naming things, and clearly enunciated sounds. We didn't have the tv or radio on much either so there was no background noise to compete with. However, I have no way of knowing if it helped because he just seemed totally ready one day to talk. And once he started it was like flood gates had opened.

He's 6 now and just reading. He's exactly on target according to his teacher, so just turned 2 seems really young to me. Books at that age are for fun and should be entertaining. I'd ease up on that and just play lots of heads, shoulders, knees and toes type games or something verbal that's aimed at helping him understand the world around him. As well as use books for fun.

My 2 year old boy was like that. Completely different from my dd who loved books from a very young age.

He’s 3 now and loves stories. Give him time

No but then again I haven’t seen his health visitor since my son was one, she is due a review with him any time now but it’s just a case of waiting for her to get in contact. His progress at one was perfect if not slightly ahead but now I feel like his communication part has just halted, his other things like fine motor skills and gross motor skills are fine. I look at other two year old and think my son should be able to do that. He doesn’t have any illnesses or disabilities that would cause him to hardly communicate. If anything I feel like I’ve gone wrong somewhere over the past year. I’m getting books for words and numbers left and right from people but he’d rather pull the books apart than read them.

He isn’t interested in interactive books unless they’ve got buttons that make sound on but even then he just button mashes the lot and won’t listen me read the book to him

All of mine have gone through a stage of not sitting still for stories. I read the stories even if they had got down off my lap and talked about interesting things in the pictures. They all love stories now.

Singing is also very good for speech development, lots of great nursery rhymes with actions to help get them engaged.

It’s mainly family that have said to read to him

Yes both of mine have gone through stages of not listening - I abandoned bedtime stories at about 2 because they were too tired - had better luck first thing.

The other thing is get him to tell you a story, or don’t even read the story just look at each picture and you or he comments.

Last suggestion - book people had a set of stories like ‘bear learns to share’, ‘puppy learns to say please’ with stickers on that were a hit at this age.

You should go back to the Hv as you sound concerned about his general ability to communicate but 1.5-2.5 was our peak tantrum age due to communication frustration.

Yeah that’s an idea singing and nursery rymes. I’ll give it a go.

Don't worry. This is absolutely typical of a normal 2 year old. I've worked with children for a long time. Many will talk over the story up until 4 or 5.

Just handling books and turning pages is perfectly appropriate for his age.

Books can come later when he's better able to sit still. They're meant to be fun, if it's a chore or a flashpoint, I'd back off for a bit.

Lots of other ways to encourage language as he gets older: singing, counting out loud, role play games like pretending to chat into a toy phone. Your HV might have some good strategies along those lines.

I am surprised that reading was recommended as way to help your ds be more verbal, who recommended it?

Wow, really? Sharing books and reading is absolutely key to support language development. It allows children to make sense of words by linking them to pictures and means that they hear words they wouldn't otherwise in everyday conversation.

OP, I'd just leave some books out for your DS to look at at his leisure. Don't push the issue or force him to read books that 'teach' numbers or anything. He'll get there.

He’s two. Two.

Seriously reading should not be on your radar. Playing with books is entirely normal. Buy some interactive ones and help him play with them.

Children develop at different rates. I saw a two year old sat “reading” a book- flicking through it while babbling and thought my two year old was incredibly behind. She wouldn’t sit still long enough to look, let alone “read”. But then i spoke to the other childs mum who thought her child was way behind mine- he wasn’t walking independently yet mine was running and jumping.

Just sit next to him while he plays and read to him. He doesn’t need to pay attention or look at the book or any of that. He’ll still be absorbing language. Or better yet, just talk to him. I used to push mine in the pushchair or shopping trolley and just constantly talk about what we were doing and what we saw.

I meant him reading. Obviously sharing books is great for it, but I read it that OP wanted to teach her ds to read at 2. I couldn't see how him learning to read would help his speech. I think the OP actually meant normal sharing of books, which is obviously brilliant!