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Reading aloud to your baby is a wonderful, shared activity you can continue for years to come.
Reading aloud:
- Teaches a baby about communication
- Introduces concepts such as numbers, letters, colors, and shapes
- Builds listening, memory and vocabulary skills
- Gives babies information about the world around them
When and How to Read
Reading aloud doesn’t take special skills or equipment, just you, your baby, and books
- Read aloud for a few minutes at a time, but do it often. Don’t worry about finishing entire books – focus on pages that you and your baby enjoy.
- Set aside time to read every day – perhaps at naptime and bedtime.
- Read at other points in the day and choose times when your baby is dry, fed, and alert.
- Keep books in the diaper bag to fill time waiting in the doctor’s office or standing in lines.
Reading Tips:
- Hold your baby on your lap or in another cozy position while sharing a book.
- Read with expression – use different voices for different characters.
- Don’t worry about following the exact text. Stop once in awhile and ask questions or comment on the pictures or text.
- Let your baby turn the page when she/he is ready. Avoid power struggles over how to look at a book together.
- Sing nursery rhymes, make funny animal sounds, or bounce your baby on your knee, anything that shows that reading is fun!
Adapted from: KidsHealth and Parents as Teachers