Reading to your newborn is one of the best things you can do for their brain and language development. Even just a few minutes a day can lay the groundwork for vocabulary, reading, and comprehension skills. Plus, reading to your little one is a great opportunity for bonding and building connection.
IN THIS ARTICLE
- When should I start reading to my baby?
- Benefits of reading to babies
- What books are best for babies?
- Should I try teaching my baby to read?
When should I start reading to my baby?
You might think reading to your child isn’t beneficial until they can sit and listen attentively, but research shows it’s never too early to start enjoying books with your little one. In fact, beginning as early as pregnancy by reading to your baby in the womb helps your baby learn to recognize your voice, and starts building a foundation for literacy.
Once your baby arrives, reading to your newborn is one of the best things you can do for their brain and language development. Your baby won’t understand your words, but hearing your voice stimulates an interest in sounds and helps them develop listening skills. In fact, children of parents who read and talk to them often know more words by age 2 than children who weren’t read to. Reading to your newborn can boost their early vocabulary and reading skills before they even know their ABCs.
Plus, no matter what your baby’s age, reading together is a great opportunity for cuddling and bonding. By developing a regular reading routine from the start, books become a natural part of your child’s day – one that they’ll associate with love and comfort.
While reading to newborns certainly has its benefits, it’s no secret this task can be a challenge. Young babies won’t really be able to listen to a story, and between night feedings, broken sleep, and cleaning spit-up, you may feel too exhausted to try. Don’t worry about getting all the way through a book. Just taking a few minutes here and there to read aloud to your child can make a difference.
Many older babies may not sit still long enough for a full book, even if it’s short. It’s okay if your child loses interest after a few pages – just pick it back up another time. It’s also fine if your baby is mostly interested in grabbing the book, chewing the pages, or dropping it. You can try to involve your baby in the story by pointing out funny parts or making conversation about what’s happening.
Benefits of reading to babies
Reading to your baby helps build vocabulary, stimulates imagination, and improves communication skills. The more you speak to your child from the get-go, the better it is for their growth and development.
A running commentary on the state of the neighborhood during a walk or naming your child’s body parts as you bathe them are good ways to talk to them. Reading is another way to increase the verbal interactions you have with your child.
Reading to your baby introduces them to the concepts of stories, numbers, letters, colors, and shapes, and gives them information about the world around them. It also builds memory and vocabulary skills. By the time they’re 6 months old, your baby has already learned all the sounds they need to speak their native language. The more words they hear, the better they’ll be able to talk.
Reading together also helps your child learn the concept of a story – that there’s a beginning, middle, and end. That’s an important pre-reading skill, which also strengthens the brain’s executive functioning and ability to organize information. It’s pretty amazing what story time can do!
What books are best for babies?
Your baby may be fascinated by pictures with bright colors and sharp contrast, so be sure to get a variety of sturdy books.
Your infant picks up on the rhythm of language – rather than the content – as they hear you speak. Books with repetition and rhyming are good because they help your baby build language skills. To keep it interesting, vary the pitch of your voice or use different voices for different characters.
Try reading slowly, using a high-pitched voice and exaggerated vowels. “Parentese” is the term researchers use for this way of speaking, which parents naturally use with babies. Studies show it actually helps babies learn language.
But don’t worry too much about how or what you read. The most important thing is that your baby is making a connection between the things they love the most – your closeness and your voice – and books. This shows them that reading is enjoyable and important.
Older babies and toddlers often end up having several books that become favorites, and they may insist that you read the same few books every day. This is totally normal and healthy – kids learn through repetition – though it can be tedious for parents.
Some children prefer books with lots of pictures, while others like books with built-in activities – images hidden under flaps or behind sliding partitions, for example. Your baby may also enjoy the singsong rhythm and playful wording of nursery rhymes. They’re easy to remember, so you can chant them during daily routines (“Rub-a-dub-dub, three men in a tub”).
Once you’ve explored a favorite type of book, try another. Your baby’s sure to enjoy something completely different every once in a while.
Don’t choose anything too delicate, though. Babies love to grab and mouth everything they can reach, and exploring with their mouths is part of how they learn. Board books or those with heavy-duty pages can endure the most wear and tear. Some soft baby books are made of fabric and include teething toys; others are waterproof and can go in the tub.
Should I try teaching my baby to read?
Most children learn to read between the ages of 6 and 7, so there’s no need to focus on letters or sounds with your baby or toddler. In fact, the Pediatrics warns against pushing your child to read before they’re ready, as it can take the fun and enjoyment out of story time. Instead, focus on enjoying the time together and establishing a love of books and learning.
If you read to your child often, they’ll eventually make the connection between the sounds of words and the letters on the pages. In the meantime, teaching your baby to enjoy reading is a much more valuable lesson than nailing phonics at an early age.
Babies need to feel an emotional connection with the words being spoken or they simply filter out the language, so steer clear of audio books as well as TV and other screens. Even educational TV shows or interactive apps aren’t as enriching as playing games, figuring out how a toy works, or having story time with you. (That’s why expert say to avoid screen time for babies under 18 months old – except for video-chatting with loved ones.)
The interaction you have with your child is the key to making the most out of reading. Help your child make connections in the story and associations in real life.
For example, if there’s a yellow ball in the book you’re reading, point to the red ball your child likes to play with and ask them a question: “Do you like the yellow ball or the red ball best?” Go ahead and tell them the answer for now: “I think you like the red ball better than the yellow ball because you can play with it.”
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