what are the benefits of reading to my baby?
A baby won’t understand everything you’re doing or why. But reading aloud to your baby is a wonderful shared activity that can continue for years to come, and it’s important for your baby’s brain.
reading aloud:
You are reading: Why books are good for babies
- teaches a baby to communicate
- introduces concepts such as numbers, letters, colors and shapes in a fun way
- develops listening, memory and vocabulary skills
- gives babies information about the world around them
By the time babies reach their first year, they will have learned all the sounds necessary to speak their mother tongue. The more stories you read aloud, the more words your baby will hear and the better he will be able to speak.
Hearing words helps build a rich network of words in a baby’s brain. children whose parents talk and read to them often know more words by age 2 than children who have not been read to. And children who are read to during their early years are more likely to learn to read at the right time.
when you read to your baby:
- Your baby hears you using many different emotions and expressive sounds. this supports social and emotional development.
- encourages your baby to look, point, touch and answer questions. this helps with social development and thinking skills.
- Your baby improves language skills by copying sounds, recognizing pictures, and learning words.
But perhaps the most important reason to read aloud is that it makes a connection between the things your baby loves most (your voice and your closeness) and books. spending time reading to your baby shows her that reading is important. And if babies and children are often read to with joy, enthusiasm, and closeness, they begin to associate books with happiness, and new readers are created.
different ages, different stages
See Also: Dashiell Hammett – Book Series In Order
Young babies may not know what the pictures in a book mean, but they can focus on them, especially the faces, bright colors, and different patterns. When you read or sing lullabies and nursery rhymes, you can entertain and soothe your baby.
between 4-6 months:
- Your baby may start to show more interest in books. her little one will grab and hold books, but she will also bite, chew and drop them. choose sturdy vinyl or cloth books with bright colors and familiar, repetitive, or rhyming text.
between 6 and 12 months:
- Your baby is beginning to understand that pictures represent objects and may start to show that he likes certain pictures, pages, or even entire stories more than others. your baby will respond as she reads, grasping the book and making sounds. By 12 months, her little one will turn pages (with a little help from you), clap or start pointing at objects on a page, and repeat her sounds.
when and how to read
Reading aloud has one big advantage: no special skills or equipment are needed, just you, your baby, and a few books. read aloud for a few minutes at a time, but do it often. Don’t worry about finishing entire books—focus on the pages you and your baby enjoy.
Try to read every day, maybe before your nap and before bed. Reading before bed gives you and your baby a chance to cuddle and connect. It also establishes a routine that will help calm your baby.
It’s also good to read at other times of the day. choose times when your baby is dry, fed, and alert. Books also come in handy when you’re expecting, so keep some in your diaper bag to while away the time sitting at the doctor’s office or standing in line at the grocery store.
See Also: Brenda Novak – Book Series In Order
here are some other reading tips:
- snuggling while you read helps your baby feel safe, warm and connected to you.
- read with expression, raise or lower your voice accordingly, or use different voices for different characters .
- don’t worry about following the text exactly. stop from time to time and ask questions or make comments about the images or text. (“where’s the kitty? there it is! what a cute little black kitty”). your child may not be able to respond yet, but this lays the groundwork for later.
- singing nursery rhymes, making funny animal sounds, or bouncing your baby on your knee, whatever show that reading is fun.
- Babies love and learn from repetition, so don’t be afraid to read the same books over and over again. . when you do, repeat the same emphasis each time you would a familiar song.
- As your baby grows, encourage him to touch the book or hold more sturdy vinyl, cloth, or board books. You don’t want to encourage him to chew on books, but by putting them in his mouth, your baby is learning about them, discovering how books feel and taste, and discovering that you can’t eat them!
what to read
Baby books should have simple, repetitive, familiar text and clear pictures. for the first few months of life, your child just likes to hear her voice. so she can read almost anything, especially books with a song or rhyming text. As your baby becomes more interested in looking at things, choose books with simple pictures on solid backgrounds.
As your baby begins to grasp, she can read vinyl or cloth books that have faces, bright colors, and shapes. When your baby begins to respond to what’s inside the books, she adds board books with baby pictures or familiar objects like toys. When your baby starts doing things like sitting in the tub or eating with her fingers, look for simple stories about daily routines, like bedtime or bath time. When your child starts talking, she chooses books that allow babies to repeat simple words or phrases.
Books with mirrors and different textures (crumpled, smooth, rough) are also great for this age group. so are the fold-out books that you can prop up or the books with flaps that open to surprise. board books make turning pages easier for babies, and vinyl or cloth books can go anywhere, even in the bathtub. Babies of any age like photo albums with photos of people they know and love. And babies love nursery rhymes!
One of the best ways to ensure your little one grows up to be a reader is to have books in your home. When your baby is old enough to crawl over to a basket of toys and pick out one, make sure there are a few books in the mix.
In addition to the books you own, you can also borrow from the library. Many libraries also have story hours for babies. don’t forget to pick up a book for yourself while you’re there. reading for fun is another way you can be your baby’s reading role model.
See Also: 15 Best Sites for Free Online Books for Kids | Reader&039s Digest