Reading to Baby

Reading is very important skill in life, and it is never too soon to begin reading to your children. Sharing a love of books with your newborn will instill a lifelong love for reading and has many developmental benefits.

It's a great way to bond. Reading to your little one is a very personal one-on-one activity. It can be a very special way for mom, dad or big brother/big sister to bond with baby because the two of you can snuggle and she can listen to your voice, which is often very soothing. This is especially true for mothers since baby has listened to your voice from inside the womb. 

Your little one will be more prepared to read on her own. Even though your little one won’t understand what you are saying, she still enjoys the rhythm, tones and inflections of your voice. Not only will your baby have affection for reading, but studies have shown that reading at an early age will prepare your little one to enjoy books when she enters school.

Reading provides a boost in brainpower. Again, even if your little one doesn’t understand your words at first, hearing you speak will help her learn to speak and will even lead to having a larger vocabulary. Reading is such a basic skill that impacts many areas of their lives including writing, math and critical thinking skills. 

It inspires imagination. Children naturally have a wonderful sense of imagination and reading will only fuel their creativity further. Have you ever heard the saying that a reader lives a thousand lives while a non-reader only lives one? Reading will introduce your little one to characters and ideas that they might not have known otherwise. 

They learn about emotions. As you are reading aloud, your little one picks up on the inflections of your voice as the “mood” of the book changes. You may change your voice for different characters or change your tone when something exciting or sad happens, teaching your little one the meanings behind particular emotions and words. Experiencing your verbal cues for emotion will help your little one to be emotionally intelligent later on in life. 

They learn from the visuals as much as the words. In those first few months of life, your little one’s eyes are still beginning to focus on items and patterns. Reading books that have pictures will introduce your baby to the world of colors, shapes and designs. Eventually they will begin to associate your words with the pictures they see on the pages and recognize them as time goes on. 

They learn that reading is fun. When reading is a regular part of your routine, your child will learn how important reading is. They will also associate with books in a fun and loving way and when they get to school, they won’t see reading as a chore. 

Are you bored with children’s books? That’s OK! Since your little one isn’t interactive with books yet, you can read whatever you want. Choose your favorite novel, a magazine or the newspaper. Remember to include dad and siblings in reading to baby so he or she can learn from and bond with each of you. As always, we are here to be of support to you. Please contact us anytime Care@theollieworld.com.