If you’ve ever tried reading with an infant or toddler, it may look something like this: you sit down on the floor and start reading, and the child pats the pages, chews on the book, or toddles away! With all the signs pointing to disinterest, is it even worth it to read to children from infancy to age two? The answer is yes!

Children’s books are tools that prepare young children for later reading success—the way you use books with children makes a difference in their early literacy development. Planning story times with infants and toddlers can be challenging, but with thought and preparation, you can maximize the reading experiences of these little learners!

In Time for a Story, explore fun and engaging ways to talk, sing, read, write, and play with young children throughout the day to help them begin developing important pre-literacy skills, including phonological awareness, print awareness, letter knowledge, and background knowledge. These practical techniques will help you put the children in your care on the path to school readiness!