Why Reading with Your 1 Year Old is More Important Than Ever

So your baby’s turned one. 🎉 One minute you had a tiny bundle, and now you’ve got a mini explorer who’s crawling into cupboards, climbing on sofas, and babbling like they’re giving a TED talk in baby language. Welcome to the language explosion stage—it’s loud, hilarious, and honestly kind of amazing.

And here’s the thing: reading with your toddler at this age is one of the best things you can do to fuel all that new chatter.

What’s Actually Going On with Language at 1?

Between 12–18 months, toddlers go from babbling to properly experimenting with words. They start copying the way you talk, pointing at everything, and testing out their first “real” words (spoiler: it’s usually “no!” or “more!”).

In class, I’ve seen toddlers practically burst with pride over their new favourite word. One little boy shouted “QUACK!” every time he spotted a duck in the storybook. By the end, the whole group was quacking along with him. 🦆

Why Reading with Your Toddler Is a Game-Changer

Reading together at this stage isn’t about sitting still for 20 minutes with War & Peace (we wish). It’s about snappy, fun moments that do so much more than you realise:

✨ Boosts language: Stories use words we don’t usually say in everyday chat.
✨ Builds connection: Snuggly story time = safe and happy vibes.
✨ Grows imagination: Even simple board books spark curiosity.
✨ Teaches early literacy: Turning pages, pointing, and spotting pictures all count.

One mum told me her daughter kept bringing her the same board book after class, babbling away as if she was reading it herself. That’s the magic—toddlers copy everything, and that’s how language grows.

How We Do It at Adventure Babies

This is where we bring the fun (and take the pressure off you). At Adventure Babies, we don’t just read books—we live them.

📚 Toddlers crawl through tunnels to “find the bear,” pat the fluffy part of a storybook, or sit wide-eyed as the lights twinkle during a bedtime tale.
🎶 Repetition, rhymes, and songs sneak in new words (and make toddlers squeal with joy when their favourite one comes around).
👶 Social play gives them the chance to copy other little chatterboxes—and you can almost see their language skills level up week by week.

And let’s be real: it’s also a space for you to realise you’re not the only parent being handed the same story 14 times a day.

Quick Tips for Reading at Home

  • Keep it short: Two minutes is plenty at this age.

  • Let them lead: If they want to turn the page back and forth, go with it.

  • Silly voices win: One dad in class used the most dramatic pirate voice—his son laughed so hard he nearly rolled off the mat.

  • Repeat, repeat, repeat: Toddlers love a “greatest hits” playlist of books.

The Takeaway

The language explosion is here, and reading with toddlers is the fuel it needs. Every rhyme, every silly voice, every cosy cuddle with a book builds their words, confidence, and love of stories.

So grab a board book, snuggle up, and watch your one-year-old’s world grow bigger with every page. Or, if you’d rather let someone else bring the drama (and the duck quacking), come join us at Adventure Babies—where books come alive and toddlers thrive.

💡 Want to geek out more on early language? The National Literacy Trust