Reading to Toddlers: A Speech Pathologist's Guide to Building Language Through Books

Bedtime is my favorite part of the day with my boys.

After the chaos of dinner, bath time, and putting away toys, we finally get to slow down. I cuddle up with my toddler on one side and my baby on the other, and we read stories together. It's the sweetest, most peaceful moment of our entire day, and it's also one of the most powerful things I can do for their language development.

As a speech-language pathologist and a mom, I know that reading aloud to your child is one of the best ways to support their communication skills. But here's what might surprise you: you don't have to read every single word on the page for it to "count."

Why Reading Aloud Matters for Language Development

There's some pretty amazing research out there showing that young children whose parents read to them daily have been exposed to at least 290,000 more words by the time they enter kindergarten than kids who aren't read to regularly.

That's a huge difference!

But it's not just about how many words they hear. Here's what reading aloud actually does for your toddler's speech and language:

It expands their vocabulary. Books introduce words your child might not hear in everyday conversation. Even simple board books teach labels for animals, colors, emotions, and actions that naturally come up as you're reading together.

It models how sentences work. When you read aloud, your child is hearing complete sentences and absorbing how language is put together. This helps them learn to form their own sentences as they grow.

It builds phonological awareness. Books with rhymes, repetition, and rhythmic language help your child recognize and play with the sounds of language. This is actually a really important pre-reading skill that starts way before kindergarten.

It teaches concepts. Books help toddlers learn about emotions, social situations, and how the world works. This gives them more things to talk about and communicate about as their language grows.

It creates back-and-forth communication. When you pause to ask questions, point to pictures, or let your child fill in familiar words, you're practicing real conversation skills together.

My Favorite Tips for Reading with Toddlers

You don't need a ton of books or a perfect setup. Here's what I've learned works well, both as a mom and as an SLP:

You Don't Have to Read Every Word

This is the advice I wish someone had given me sooner. It's completely okay to skip words, simplify sentences, or just talk about the pictures instead!

Some of the best language learning happens when you're pointing to images and having a natural conversation: "Look, a dog! The dog is running. Where's the ball?" You're building vocabulary, practicing turn-taking, and keeping your child engaged, which is what really matters.

If your toddler wants to flip through pages super fast or only look at certain pictures, go with it. Follow their lead and talk about what they're interested in.

Use Board Books or Indestructible Books for Little Ones

If you have a baby or young toddler who's still putting everything in their mouth or loves to rip pages, board books and indestructible books are your best friend. You can find the kind that are literally chewable or can go in the bath!

This takes all the pressure off you to constantly say "gentle!" and lets your child actually explore books on their own terms. The goal is making books fun and accessible, not stressful.

Keep Books Where Your Child Can Reach Them

I have a small bookshelf in my son's playroom that's completely at his level. He can grab books whenever he wants, flip through them by himself, or bring them over to me when he wants to read together.

When books are easy to access, kids are way more likely to develop that natural love of reading. You don't need a huge collection either. Even just 5-10 books that you rotate out works great.

Yes, Read the Same Book Over and Over

Does your toddler want to read "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" for the 47th time today? That's actually perfect.

Repetition is exactly how toddlers learn. When they hear the same story again and again, they start to anticipate what comes next, fill in familiar words, understand how stories work, and build confidence. I know it can feel mind-numbing for us as adults, but for your child, that repetition is incredibly valuable.

Make It Interactive

Don't just read to your child. Read with them. I'm always pausing to point at pictures, ask simple questions like "Where's the cat?" or "What's he doing?", let my son turn the pages, make animal sounds, or wait for him to fill in words he knows.

The more you can make it a conversation instead of just reading straight through, the more language learning is happening.

What I Want You to Remember

Reading to your toddler doesn't have to look perfect. It doesn't have to happen at the same time every day, and you don't need a library full of books or some beautiful reading corner.

What matters is that you're spending time with books together: talking, pointing, laughing, connecting. That's really where all the good stuff happens.

So grab whatever board book is within reach (even if it's one you've already read 100 times), snuggle up with your little one, and just enjoy it. You're not only reading a story. You're building the foundation for their communication skills and creating some really sweet memories at the same time.

Worried about your toddler's language development? Give us a call. We can talk about what you're noticing and whether speech therapy might be helpful for your child!

AUTHOR: JESSIE KENSEY, M.S., CCC-SLP