Best Toddler Books
Below are some of my FAVORITE best toddler books for you. Most are oldies but goodies that I LOVE reading over and over again.
You don't need a lot of books, just the right ones.
My Best Toddler Books!
Tips For Shopping For Best Toddler Books
1. Buy A Variety
You don’t need many books, just a small variety of great books. Find books which have different topics as this will expose your child to a variety vocabulary.
For example, look for books about bedtime, school, vehicles, animals, outer space, etc...
Toddlers love to repeat the same book over and over again and that is a great thing for language learning. Each time through, your child will learn something else new. It is also a great thing for your pocketbook. You don't need too many books!
2. Rhymes
Again, the key here is variety. Find a few rhyming books. Rhyming is an early phonological awareness skill that is important for learning to read print.
Introducing rhyming is easier when you have a favorite book that rhymes!
3. Predictable Patterns
Find books that a have predictable or repeating theme. “The Hungry Caterpillar” or “10 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed” are two good examples.
These patterns, while monotonous for adults, are very beneficial for children. They offer a lot of repetition of new information and toddlers NEED a lot of repetition to learn, especially children with speech or language disorders.
4. Interesting
It is good to introduce toddlers to new things through books, but don't push it if your child is in a "phase."
For example, if your child LOVES trains, have a few train books on hand. You want your child to WANT to read. If trains inspire a love for reading, than have some books about it!
5. Watch The Length
A toddler's attention span is short. Some children can sit for 20 minutes and some, like mine, listen for about 5 minutes!
To give you an idea, a typical 2 – 2 ½ year old may be able to sit for a 5-10 minute story. A 3-year old may sit for a 20-minute story.
Watch the length of the book. At this age, you still don’t have to read the entire story but story grammar is starting to emerge. During reading time, try to get the setting and plot across.