How to read books to your baby

There’s not much better than snuggling up with a good book.

It’s one of my favorite things, especially when I’m snuggling with a child. 🥰

If your brand new to parenting, you may feel unsure how to go about reading a book to a baby that’s so young they can’t talk yet. But that’s when you need to start!

Research tells us there’s a strong link between the vocabulary skills of very young children and later school and life success. In fact, children with a larger oral vocabulary at age two not only entered kindergarten with higher levels of math and literacy skills, but they were also able to self-regulate and had fewer anxiety-related behavior problems, like excessive worrying and extreme shyness. 

Of course there are many factors that predict school success, but hey, if reading 3 or 4 books a day with your child will give them a strong start, why not? 

Take a listen for some things to consider as you read to your baby.

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Benefits of reading:

• It prepares your child for school success.
• It builds vocabulary. We like to see children have a vocabulary of about 5000 words when they enter kindergarten. Reading helps!
• You’re modeling how to handle a book – right side up, how to turn pages, etc. Some preschool programs will use this in early literacy evaluation.
• A three month old will respond to changes in your voice. Read with expression ~ it teaches your baby to listen to and interpret nuances of communication.
• It helps with pre-reading skills such as listening, noticing patterns, matching images to words and letter recognition.

Download Tips for Reading to Your Baby now!