How Do I Get a Three-Year-Old to Listen to Books?

Reading to children helps them learn to read.

Reading to children is an important part of being a parent or teacher. You introduce the love of reading to children when you sit down with them and take the time to read. However, you have to have the correct setting and circumstances in order to give you and the child a pleasant reading experience. Be aware that not all three-year-olds have the same personality, so they will respond to your reading to him or her in different ways.

Things You'll Need

• Picture books

Instructions

1. Choose books appropriate for the child's age. Short picture books with bright colors will attract the child's attention. Find books with straightforward and linear plots that address the concerns and experiences of young children, such as exploring the world around them or not wanting to go to bed at night. "How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight" by Jane Yolen, "The Snowy Day" by Ezra Jacks Keats, and "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" by Micheal Rosen are examples.

2. Do not insist that a child join you at book-reading time. Offer the activity to the child, but do not create a conflict between you and the child. Reading should be an experience your child wants, not one that results in your child feeling resentful.

3. Choose a time when you have leisure. Racing the clock during story time does not create a calm experience. Present reading to the child as a way to relax and as an activity to enjoy.

4. Choose a time and place in the day where you have quiet. An atmosphere of noise and activity around you and the child is distracting. Designate a certain time of the day, such as before a nap or before bedtime, to be your reading time.

5. Let the child choose the book. Have only two choices available, because multiple options will create confusion and delay. Give the child a choice between an old favorite and a new book. Do not argue with the child's choice of book, because this will discourage him or her from wanting to read.

References

• Lemony Snicket: Tips On How to Read to Young Children
• Kid Source: Developing Reading Skills in Young Children
• RIF: Reading Aloud

Resources

• University of Michigan: Reading, Literacy and Your Child
• Breit Links: Choosing Books for 3-Year-Olds
• Eureka Alert: Reading to Young Children Improves Language and Cognitive Development