Reading Together: Tips for Parents of Children with Intellectual Disabilities

Helping your child love books

You’ll find sharing books together is a great way to bond with your son or daughter and help your child’s development at the same time. Give your child a great gift that will last for life — the love of books.

Like all children, your child will learn and develop, yet she will likely develop more slowly than other children her age. Reading aloud and talking about the story and the pictures will help your child improve her vocabulary and help teach grammar. When your child reads to you or names objects on the page, she will get added practice to improve her memory and her spoken language skills. As your child grows, talk to her occupational therapist and teachers about ways reading and word-matching games can help improve her reading skills.

Tips for reading with your infant or toddler

Each time you read to your child, you are helping her brain to develop. Reading to your child helps her understand that there are words and pictures on the page. So — you’ve planted the seed to reading that will stay with your child throughout her life.

Try reading for a few minutes at a time at first. Then build up the time you read together. Your child will soon see reading time as fun time and learning time!

Here are some things you can try:

• Buy books or borrow books from the library that have thick, sturdy pages.
• Find books that have rhymes. Clap your hands and help your baby clap along to the rhythm of the words.
• Find books that teach everyday things, such as colors, shapes, numbers, and letters.
• Read aloud. Talk about the pictures and read the text. Help your toddler point to objects you name in the book.

Suggested books for your infant

• I Can, Can You? (opens in a new window), by Marjorie W. Pitzer
• Books by Laura Ronay, such as Kids Like Me…Learn ABCs (opens in a new window) or Kids Like Me…Learn Colors (opens in a new window)
• Books by Rena D. Grossman, such as Families (opens in a new window) or Eating the Rainbow (opens in a new window)

Suggested books for your toddler

• Dr. Seuss’s ABC (opens in a new window)
• Feelings (opens in a new window), by Susan Canizares
• The Feelings Book (opens in a new window), by Todd Parr
• Hugs and Kisses (opens in a new window), by Roberta Grobel Intrater
• My Very First (opens in a new window) books by Eric Carle, such as My Very First Book of Colors (opens in a new window), My Very First Book of Numbers (opens in a new window), My Very First Book of Shapes (opens in a new window), or Eric Carle’s ABC (opens in a new window)