Health Tip: Encouraging Your Toddlers to Read

(HealthDay News) -- Reading is an important part of childhood. Parents can encourage a love of reading by getting little ones engaged in books.

The American Academy of Pediatrics offers these suggestions:

• Ask young children to name which books they want to read, and have them pretend to read out loud to you.
• Ask children to tell you how a story you are reading resembles something they have done or seen.
• Engage children with questions about a book, and encourage them to ask questions back.
• Toddlers should be able to point out when you've skipped a page or section.
• Ask your toddlers to explain a book in their own words.