Reading Activities

Tips for Reading to Your Child

The literacy milestones below are brought to you by Reach out and Read.®

If your child is 6-12 months of age:

• Hold child comfortably; face-to-face gaze
• Follow baby’s cues for “more” and “stop”
• Point and name pictures

If your child is 12-18 months of age:

• Respond to child’s prompting to read
• Let the child control the book
• Be comfortable with toddler’s short attention span
• Ask “where’s the…?” and let child point

If your child is 18-24 months of age:

• Relate books to child’s experiences
• Use books in routines, bedtimes
• Ask “what’s that?” and give child time to answer
• Pause and let child complete the sentence

If your child is 24-36 months of age:

• Keep using books in routines
• Read at bedtime
• Be willing to read the same story over and over
• Ask “what’s that?”
• Relate books to child’s experiences
• Provide crayons and paper

Last updated on December 16, 2009