What You Will Find In This Post

• Early literacy research and what it means for your storytime.
• A clear, simple structure for toddler storytime.
• Storytime strategies you can use right away.
• Practice scenarios based on real classroom situations.
• Resources for songs, props, and model storytimes.

Early Literacy Research

What Is Early Literacy

Early literacy means building the skills that children need in order to be ready to read later. It is not about teaching children how to read. Everything you do in storytime contributes to early literacy:

• Reading books
• Talking and having conversations
• Singing and using rhythm and rhyme
• Movement and whole body participation
• Using imagination and pretend play
• Building background knowledge about the world

The Every Child Ready to Read framework reminds us that reading, talking, singing, writing, and playing are all powerful tools that prepare children for future reading success. Storytime is a place where all of these can come together in a joyful way.

The Science Behind Storytime For Younger Children

• Predictable routines create security. When we repeat the same songs and activities in the same order each week, children feel safe and know what to expect. This sense of security frees them to explore, participate, and learn.
• Repetition builds neural connections. Doing the same songs and books again and again helps the brain strengthen pathways. Repetition is not boring for toddlers. It is how they learn.
• Role modeling matters. When all adults in the room participate, children see that reading, singing, and moving are important. Adults who join in make storytime more engaging and help children feel supported.
• Movement strengthens learning. When children move their bodies, more parts of the brain are activated. That is why we sing, dance, clap, and use props.
• Short attention spans require pacing. Younger children need variety. We avoid long stretches of monotone input and instead build in interaction, questions, and movement. Storytimes are short and lively.
• Warm relationships foster a love of reading. Smiles, laughter, and a playful attitude help children connect reading with comfort and joy.

What The Research Tells Us

• Children at this age can take more than five to seven seconds to process what you say. Pause and give them time.
• Finding simple connections to daily life helps them understand and remember.
• Fun matters. When storytime is enjoyable, children are much more likely to engage and learn.

Developmental Characteristics Of Younger Groups

Most younger groups in storytime include children from about eighteen months to three years old. Knowing what is typical helps you set realistic expectations and understand what you see in the classroom.

Fine And Gross Motor Skills

• Children can run, kick, and climb.
• They are learning to draw simple shapes and manipulate small objects.
• They are still practicing how to use their bodies in coordinated ways.

Cognitive Skills

• They can complete phrases in familiar books.
• They can follow simple two step directions such as “Go get your coat and put it on.”
• They enjoy simple make believe and pretend play.
• Most can listen to a short story of about three to five minutes.

Speech And Language

• They are beginning to put multiple words together.
• They can engage in simple conversations.
• They often ask many questions.

Social And Emotional Development

• They are starting to show empathy for others.
• They often play alongside other children rather than directly with them. This is called parallel play and is normal.
• They are gaining independence and may be in the “me, mine, no” phase. This is also normal.

When you enter a classroom, you might see some children talking a lot, some children not yet using words, and a wide range of attention spans and behaviors. Storytime for younger children is about meeting them where they are and inviting them to join in at any level.

Storytime Structure For Younger Groups

A simple, predictable structure will help both volunteers and children feel successful. For younger groups, the entire storytime should be no longer than about twenty minutes. For most classrooms, fifteen will be plenty. The best way to decide is coordinating with the teacher.

Suggested Structure

1. Welcome Song/Rhyme
   • Length: about five minutes.
   • Use two or three repetitive songs or rhymes every time you visit.
2. One Short Book
   • Length: about five to seven minutes.
   • Choose one strong, well suited book rather than several long ones.
3. Songs With Props And Movement
   • Length: about five to seven minutes.
   • Use egg shakers, scarves, or other simple props to keep bodies and brains engaged.
4. Closing Song/Rhyme
   • Length: about one to two minutes.
   • End with the same calm song every time to help children transition.

Step By Step: 

Welcome

Choose two or three welcome songs or rhymes and use them every week. Repetition builds comfort and learning. You can include motions such as waving, clapping, or stomping to support motor development and self regulation.

Examples of welcome songs and rhymes include:

• Hello Song, 
• Open Shut Them 
• If You’re Happy and You Know It
• Here is the Beehive
• Mindful Breaths
• Deep Breath In

Goals during this time include motor development, self regulation, and vocabulary building. You are helping children warm up their bodies and brains for the rest of storytime.

One Short Book

For younger children, one excellent short book is more powerful than several long ones. Look for books with:

• Large, clear pictures.
• Predictable patterns or repeating phrases.
• Only one or two sentences per page.
• Simple, concrete stories and concept books.
• Opportunities for children to interact, such as pointing, repeating words, or doing simple actions.

Sit at eye level with the children if possible. Encourage sounds, pointing, and repeating rather than focusing on perfect listening. Use less dialogue and more modeling and interaction. The main goals here are language development, self regulation, text awareness, and building background knowledge.

Examples can be found here and here and here

Songs With Props And Movement

After the book, it is time to move again. Songs with props keep children engaged and help them practice fine motor skills and self regulation.

Egg shakers can be used with songs such as:

• If You Are Happy And You Know It
• Shake Your Egg And Follow Me
• Chu Chu Wa

Scarves can be used with songs such as:

• Popcorn Kernels
• Wheels On The Bus

Have a plan for distributing and collecting props. 

Ask classroom staff to help. You might return props by color or use the last instruction of a song to help children hand them back. 

Goals for this portion include self regulation, fine motor skills, and hand eye coordination.

Closing Song

Always end with the same calm song. This signals that storytime is over and helps children transition back to classroom routines.

Some examples are:

• Goodbye Friends
• Alligator Alligator

The goals for the closing are to calm down, regulate, and be ready for the next activity in the classroom day.

Storytime Strategies For Younger Children

Prioritize Interaction Over Reading Every Word

Younger children do not need you to read every single word in the book. They need connection and interaction. You can:

• Talk about the pictures. Point, name, and describe what you see. For example, “Look, a big red apple. Do you like apples. Yum yum.”
• Ask simple questions. Invite children to use their new cognitive and expressive skills. Ask things like “Where is the kitty.” or “What does the cow say.” Then pause long enough for them to answer with words, sounds, or pointing.
• Make connections. Link the story to their real lives. “That little boy is playing with a block. You have blocks too.” These connections build background knowledge and help children understand the world.

Embrace Repetition, Rhythm, And Rhyme

Repetition, rhythm, and rhyme are powerful learning tools. You can:

• Incorporate movement into songs and books to keep bodies engaged and brains active.
• Use silly voices, animal sounds, and expressive facial expressions to hold attention.
• Pause before key words in a familiar text so children can fill in the missing word.

For example, in “The Wheels On The Bus,” you might pause and let them say “round and round.” This encourages expressive language and helps them practice memory and prediction.

Remember The Big Ideas

• Repetition leads to learning.
• Children learn by doing, not by only listening.
• Short, predictable routines work best and help children feel secure.
• Movement and interaction keep toddlers engaged.
• Be flexible and welcoming. Follow the energy of the group and adjust as needed.

Storytime Scenarios

Every classroom is different. The following scenarios reflect common situations and can help you think about how you might respond.

Scenario One: Very Eager Children Answer Every Question

Some children shout out answers right away, before others have time to think. You might:

• Say kindly that you want to give everyone a turn to think before answering.
• Use prompts such as “Let us all put a thinking finger on our chin. I will count to five, then we will share ideas.”
• Ask children to whisper their answer to a teacher or to the person next to them before sharing out loud.
• Raise their hands before participating.
• Memorize their names so you can help them all participate.

Scenario Two: Many Children Are Pre Verbal

In some classrooms, most children are not yet using words. It can be hard to tell if they are engaging with the book. You might:

• Focus on pointing, clapping, and simple movements rather than spoken answers.
• Imitate the actions in the book.
• Show with you thumb or nod a yes or no.
• Comment on their body language and eye contact as signs of engagement.
• Use animal sounds and single words that children can echo, such as “moo,” “woof,” or “up.”

Scenario Three: One Child Constantly Seeks Attention

You may have a child who has trouble focusing and tries to get attention from classmates. You might:

• Invite that child to sit next to you or give them a small helper job, such as turning pages.
• Use intentional praise such as “Thank you for helping me,” when they participate appropriately.
• Work closely with the teacher so that you have a shared plan and consistent responses.

Scenario Four: The Whole Class Is Extra Wiggly

Some days the entire group may feel restless. From a snowy day to coming back from a test, preschoolers might have a stressful day too You might:

• Shorten the reading portion and add more movement.
• Choose a very interactive book that invites actions, sounds, or call and response.
• Use a calming movement song such as Hickory Dickory Dock to help bodies slow down.

Scenario Five: You Have A Non Fiction Book

Non fiction can feel intimidating with very young children, but it builds important background knowledge. You might:

• Focus on a few interesting pages rather than trying to read the entire book.
• Use photos or illustrations to spark conversation with simple questions.
• Connect the topic to things children see in their daily lives, such as animals, vehicles, or weather.

In every scenario, your calm presence, flexibility, and sense of humor are as important as the specific strategies you choose.

Resources For Readers

You can find all the resources mentioned here