Choosing the Perfect Books for Your 12-Month-Old

Walk into any bookstore or browse online, and you'll quickly realise there are a million books claiming to be perfect for your little one. With colourful covers, fancy interactive features, and promises of turning your toddler into the next literary genius, it's no wonder parents feel overwhelmed when trying to choose the right books for their 12-month-old.

But here's the thing –

We asked our founder, Bec, a speech pathologist with years of experience, for her top recommendations when selecting books for 12-month-olds. She said to keep it simple and look for three key elements: repetition, variation of core vocabulary, and interaction!

The Magic of Repetition

At 12 months, your toddler's brain is working overtime to understand patterns and make sense of language. Repetitive books are like a consistent, gentle workout for developing minds – they help little ones predict what comes next, building both confidence and comprehension skills.

Think about classics like "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" or “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt”. These books use repeated phrases and predictable patterns that allow children to participate in the storytelling process. Plus, repetitive books often become firm favourites – and you'll know it's working when your toddler starts saying the words along with you.

From a speech sound perspective, repetition is crucial because it gives children multiple opportunities to hear and eventually produce the same sounds.

Building a Colourful Vocabulary

While your 12-month-old may have a handful of words in their vocabulary, or still be starting out, they're absorbing descriptive language at an incredible rate. Books rich in descriptive words help expand their understanding beyond basic nouns.

Look for books that describe textures, sizes and colours: "soft bunny," "big truck," "yellow sun," or "bumpy road." These descriptive words give your child language tools to eventually describe their own world.

Adjectives also encourage sensory exploration. When you read about something "fluffy" or "smooth," you're creating opportunities to touch and explore textures in real life, connecting words with experiences.

Some great books that use adjectives are “My Best Friend is a Koala” by Rodger Priddy or the “That’s Not My” series by Fiona Watt.

Action-Packed Learning

Verbs like "jump," "run," "splash," "crawl," "clap," and "dance" are perfect for this age because they mirror what toddlers are doing or learning to do. These action words make reading interactive – you can even act them out together as you’re reading!

From a developmental standpoint, verbs are often some of the first words children learn after basic nouns. They're functional, relevant, and exciting for little ones who are discovering they can make things happen in their world.

Putting It All Together

Remember, at 12 months, your goal isn't to teach reading, or try and force communication – it's to build language foundations through enjoyable shared experiences. Choose books that you don't mind reading multiple times (because trust us, you will), and don't worry if your little one wants to chew on them, turn pages randomly, or walk away mid-story. They're still absorbing language even when they don't seem to be paying attention.

When faced with endless book options, remember Bec's simple formula: repetition + variation + interaction = language-rich reading that supports your 12-month-old's development.

Happy Reading!