It’s never too soon to read to your baby! Studies have proven that literacy skills can be developed starting at birth, and that parents are the most important influence in helping their children get ready to read. Sharing books and Mother Goose rhymes, as well as just looking at pictures, are easy ways to encourage early literacy – even before your baby’s first birthday.
Reading to Baby
Picking Your Reads
Many moms and dads shy away from reading to their infants because they are unsure of what to pick. Board books and picture books with bright images and just a few words are your best bets. What exactly is a board book? Board books are smaller than normal picturebooks, and have tough, indestructible cardboard pages. Many classic titles, such as Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown or Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin come in board book format. In general, look for books with rounded corners that won’t hurt your baby if he happens to poke himself with it, books that have tactile inserts for baby to touch, or even books with mirrors in them so baby can see himself. Board books are great because a baby can handle them himself – even learning to turn pages is an important early literacy skill.
Reading to Babies on the Go
Once babies become more mobile, it can be frustrating to try to read to a child who is more interested in crawling and wiggling than in listening, but don’t let that discourage you. Sit on the floor with a board book or a picture book and read in your most expressive voice while your child crawls around. She will enjoy hearing your voice and the words, will come and look at the pages from time to time, but will not experience the frustration of having to sit (when developmentally everything inside is telling her to MOVE).
Improvising
It isn’t necessary to read every word of the book – feel free to improvise. You and your baby may enjoy just looking at the pictures and pointing to things. Reading an entire book may not be an option, so that’s where rhymes come in. Rhymes are fun to say and can be interactive. They can make changing diapers or putting on clothes more fun. They can sometimes even turn tears to smiles. A terrific book to own that has lots of short, catchy rhymes along with stunning illustrations is The Everything Book by Denise Fleming. The key to keeping reading fun is to make it more like play and less like “serious study.” Laugh, make faces, and end every reading session with lots of applause; your baby is making her first steps toward becoming a reader!
Robin Benoit is a Children’s Librarian at the Fairport Public Library.
