Teaching Toddlers To Read by Age 3

Gab started reading before he reached 3 years old.  He just loves books and there is no doubt he got it from me. 😛 I thought it is not possible for a 3-year-old to be reading as good as Gab is today.  But I was inspired by videos of kids younger than Gab being able to do it, so we tried it ourselves. That is when I believed that teaching toddlers to read is possible.

Based on books with reading levels, Gab’s reading skills at age 3 are already past preschool. We are ready to start with chapter books but there is no rush to it. We let him enjoy more books designed for his age first before we get to a higher level.

Today, he can read almost any words.  Some words would take practice but he can read it effortlessly once he encounters it again.

Here are some tips in teaching toddlers to read by age 3.

1. Read a book too.  Toddlers often mimic what they see.  If they see their parents love reading books, there is a good chance they will love to read too.  I started buying books again so that Gab will see me reading a physical book and not just on an ebook reader or a tablet.

Daddy Tip: If you can’t avoid it, hide the small ebook, tablet or smartphone in a real book. This give an impression that you are reading a real book and not a gadget.  Warning: Kids will figure it out in the long run. 😛

2.  Buy children’s books. Choose books appropriate for their age.  The first book that Gab was really interested in was My First Library: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. While experts prefer non-branded or non-cartoon books for early readers, these Mickey Mouse books helped a lot in making Gab interested in books.  His next books were no longer about Mickey but we had a good start already.

Daddy Tip: I also find it ok to buy books that are a few years advanced.  It serves as a new goal for us to read to Gab.  If the book is too advanced, I let Gab explore it by looking at the pictures only.  This helps him be ready for more advanced reading skills without being intimidated.

Specific books designed for early readers like Bob Books and books on phonics are good. But I would suggest getting books that the child has interest first.

3.  Start with the pictures.  Even at a year old, Gab has been looking at books already.  It’s the pictures that strikes him most.  Thus, I would choose to buy books with lots of pictures on it.  After looking at the pictures, I would read the text to him.  When reading, I would point to each word one by one.  I would emphasize that you read the words from left to right, and from top to bottom.

4.  Learn Phonics and Sight Words.  There is a debate on which one is the proper method.  With Gab, we tried teaching phonics first.  But the progress was slow.  Then we introduced sight words.  Gab picked up the words faster with sight words.  He learned more words and built lots of confidence in reading.  Now, we switched back to phonics where he can start reading new words on his own.

5.  Read together regularly.  There’s magic when you read the book together.  It’s a great bonding moment. Be sure to point to the letters, the words and the pictures when reading so that they can find the connection between the words and what it means in real life. Pointing also helps them distinguish one word from another.

Daddy Tip:  When reading together, try letting the child finish off by reading the last word in a line or sentence. Little by little, they will develop confidence to read more words.

Schedule a regular time for reading.  Bedtime stories worked for us. There were times that we would read way past bedtime because Gab wants to read more books.

6. Ask questions about what you are reading.  This develops interaction.  By asking questions, it enforces what has been read.  Question should be simple for starters.  You can ask about the color, the shape, or where can they find the dog or the sun in the book. Make the questions fun to make it more interesting.

7.  Find a special spot together.  Dedicating a special place adds anticipation and excitement to reading.  The special spot can be a study corner or even just inside the bedroom.

8.  Visit a library or a bookstore.  If you have few books at home, try visiting a library or a bookstore.  Many bookstores have open copies where you can browse books.  I often do this to know which books would Gab find interesting and which books are not.

Finally, I believe that in teaching toddlers to read, the primary focus is to enjoy reading more than learning how to read.  There’s is nothing wrong if they can’t read yet when they are 3 or 4 years old.  They are not yet supposed too.  So focus on the enjoyment and pleasure of reading a good book.  Great things would follow soon.

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