Of Life & Toddlers

On average, most children learn to read by age 6 or 7. 

But what if you can teach your kid to read a lot sooner, say around the age of 2 or 3?

If this is something that interests you as a parent, then check out these 3 ways to teach your toddler how to read on their own.

How to Teach Your Toddler to Read

Affiliate links included. Full disclosure here. 

Step 1: Teach your toddler the alphabet and letter sounds.

The foundation of helping your toddler develop strong reading skills lies in them being able to recognize letters and their sounds.

So in this case, it would be a great idea to teach your toddler the alphabet through simple songs, activities and games.

Also, to help reinforce letter recognition, you can try purchasing a set of alphabet letter magnets for the fridge or a set of alphabet blocks for casual play.

Whatever route you decide to take, if you really want to ensure that your toddler is on the early path to reading success then teaching them the letters of the alphabet is an absolute must.

Related: 10 Fun Alphabet Learning Activities for Toddlers

Step 2: Read to your toddler often.

One way to get your toddler interested in reading is to read to them as often as possible. 

Books, newspapers, food labels and even public signs can all be used as tools to build the foundation for reading comprehension.

Taking it one step further, you can try teaching your toddler sign language which has been proven to improve confidence, aid parent-to-child bonding as well as enhance overall word recognition and language.

A fully immersive learning program such as Bright Signs Learning can be very useful in teaching your toddler how to recognize words so that they can learn to read independently from an early age.

Step 3: Repetition and consistency.

As with most things in life, repetition and consistency is the key to helping your toddler solidify understanding of letters and words.

Make it a daily goal to read with your toddler or to practice sounding out letters together.

Even going through a set of sight word cards made especially for toddlers can be super helpful in teaching your little one how to read.

Above all, being consistent with these simple activities are more than enough to motivate your toddler to become an early reader.

As most parents would like to give their children the best start in life that they possible can, a toddler that knows how to read prior to attending pre-school definitely has an advantage.

Recommended Reading

The book, How to Teach Your Baby to Read, is the perfect guide for parents who wish to pass down the gift of literacy to their toddlers as well as give them a head start in life.

Full of unique case studies and history, this book will show you how incredibly simple and easy it is to teach your little one to read before the age of 6.

Visit your local book store or check it out here on Amazon today.