A love for books and reading is a gift that will last your child a lifetime. Remember books are not meant to be decorations to be gazed at from afar. If you are worried that your toddler will rip or chew a book, buy her books that are made to be extra durable. Let your child have the opportunity to look at books and peruse the pictures. These activities are a great way to use books as a springboard for further literacy development.

Creative Reenactment

This activity will help your child with story comprehension, memory, and creativity. A simpler variation of this activity is to have your child act out specified motions that are mentioned in the story. For example, you might ask your child, “Can you huff and puff like the big bad wolf?”

• Review a well-known and beloved picture book or story with your child.

• As you slowly read or recite the tale, have your child act out the drama.

A New Story

Engage your child's imagination and build her vocabulary with this activity. It is interesting to see the differences between your child's story and the original.

• Present a new picture book to your child, and ask her to examine the pictures.

• Ask her to guess and describe what is happening in the story. For younger children, each picture will have its own tale. You can help your older child link the sequences of the pictures together for a more involved story.

• If you wish, you can extend this activity by asking your child to draw her own picture to supplement her story. Perhaps her picture can depict what she thinks will happen next.

Story Songs

Here is a fun way to help your child learn story sequence and motivate her to look at books.

• Share with your children some of the classic songs that tell a story. Some popular ones include “Froggy Went a-Courting,” “I Know an Old Lady,” and “Three Ships Have I.”

• Select a picture book that illustrates a song that your child knows. Let her read and sing along with you.