“My kid won’t sit still for a book!”

Many children find it difficult to stop moving and focus on books.  Here are a few tips if you are raising a little bundle of energy:

1. Find books that are interactive. Encourage your child to mime the actions of the characters with you.  If there is repetitive text, try to get your child to say the repetitive words along with you.
2. Get your child talking. If you reread books, once your child knows is familiar with the story, ask him or her “What’s happening here?”  “What did the little duck say? Do you remember?”  Get your child telling you as much of the story as they can.
3. Offer several choices of books to read aloud and let your child decide which one to share with you.
4. The library is a good place to offer some choices on topics that you know your child enjoys.
5. Sometimes, you can just start reading aloud while your child plays with another toy. He or she is probably listening and may even look over your should from time to time to check out the pictures.