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26
Feb

Literature

February 26, 2022
By

Let's Read Together

We all know it’s important to read to babies. But it might seem a little silly reading to an infant. So when do you even start? and how?

Start early. You’re never too young for books. Reading to babies as young as four months of age leads to stronger vocabularies and better early literacy skills four years later, just as the children are getting ready to go to school. 

According to Psychology Today,”Early language exposure significantly affects the way language networks are built in the brain. A child’s mental processing speed … is shaped through rich engagement with language.”

Reading aloud teaches a baby about communication; introduces concepts such as numbers, letters, and colors; builds listening, memory, and vocabulary skills; and gives babies information about the world around them.

Plus reading together when babies are as young increases the chances that parents continue reading to babies as they get older. Reading to babies early and develops of love of reading that lasts a lifetime!

Reading-to-baby Basics

  • Start early and often.
  • Begin with nursery rhymes and stories with rhythm. Let babies explore their books using their senses. They may even chew on their books. They may not pay attention for the whole book. Let them "read" at their pace, taking a break when needed. At this age, babies intensely look at the world around them, so you can even prop up books for babies to gaze at. 0-6 months
  • Introduce short simple stories. Board books with colorful bright illustrations are perfect at this age. They may recognize and prefer some books or stories. They may continue to explore books with their mouths and hands.6-9 months
  • Board books with simple stories are perfect at this age. Rhymes, rhythm, and repetition are big hits, and often some books are heavily favored and repeated. Children this age also love to see familiar things in their stories, such as families and pets.9 - 18 months
  • Nows the time to introduce longer stories with more complex plots, illustrations, silly rhymes, and even humor. Paper books can also be introduced and read together.18 - 24 months
  • Your child may be ready for paper books and those that have an engaging plot. Books about the world around us are more appealing, such as books about automobiles, trains, animals, or books that explore jobs such as doctor or teacher.24 - 36 months
An environment of:

Tools to Help You.

Let us introduce you to the Parent Resource Library. Located at The University of Alabama’s Judy Bonner Child Development Research Building, the library provides an extensive collection of parenting resources including children’s books that nurture language development and a love of reading.