I love to read - I know you are shocked. And one of my hopes is that my boys will also love to read as they grow up.  The possibilities that bloom from the knowledge that comes from reading are endless, this is a fact. So the question then becomes how do I get my little ones to love to read?

Well how about we look at just one little step to the process, turning the page of a book.  A skill that is necessary to reading, even if tablets and e-readers are becoming extremely popular.

For me, this means I gather a pile of books, from board books that can take a beating to flimsy magazines to allow my not-quite-two-year-old to flip some pages (another great option is old phone books- you know the ones you simply throw away as soon as they come to your door). The goal isn't to read through these materials, or even discuss what is on every page. But simply put, the goal is to have him touch and feel the pages.


If the pages in the magazine, or regular book get a little crumbled I have to be calm about it.  Don't get me wrong, I firmly say no, we do not treat books that way. But I know that this is a process, so I don't include my favorites!

Well in the middle of one such experience, we discovered a fun new book - Sesame Street Elmo at the Zoo. I had grabbed it at the library one weekend because the colors were bright, but as I was in a hurry I didn't really investigate it.  We sure did have fun with it though!

This particular board book is different because each page is a flap- you know like the board book with flaps on each page?  Well this book has progressively smaller flaps that open to tell the story of the Sesame Street character's day at the zoo. By the end of the story, the left side of the book has each animal peaking out.  Yes I realize this is not the best description, let me just say this is a fun book to try!



Just in case you are on the hunt for more fun books to read with your toddler, this could be a great book to check out.

And while I'm sharing fun ways to engage your child's creativity and desire to learn through learning to turn book pages - which is really just one of the beginning stages of dexterity - you might want to check out this fun latch board from Melissa & Doug.

What are you doing this summer to help your little kids learn to love reading?  Have you spent time just allowing your little one to turn pages in different kinds of books?





If either the book or the latch board is something you are interested in, consider ordering through my affliate link and support Reading List!  Thank you