Spending quality time with your baby is one of the greatest joys of being a parent. One way in which you can do this while also benefiting your baby is with reading. Many soon-to-be mothers read to the baby in the womb. A number of studies have shown this to be an effective way of stimulating and calming the baby. Then after birth, you can cuddle up with a newborn to three-year-old and enjoy special time for reading.
Sadly, illiteracy is high in the United States. By encouraging your child to read and explore books, you are giving him/her a huge advantage for development. When buying books, look for something sturdy since babies love to pull and chew. In fact, you can purchase vinyl books, which are made specifically for younger babies. Additionally, children love exploration. Therefore, make the book choice fun. In this case, you could go with pop-up characters, holes where fingers can wiggle, faux mirrors, fuzzy pieces of fabric, and so on.
Typically, a baby is going to be seeing the color and pictures but as you read the book, he or she will start to become familiar that the red thing on the man’s head is a “hat” or the white and spotted, four-legged creature is a “dog.” You will also find that even little babies quickly establish a favorite book. You might have ten but as the baby spots the one most intrigued with, he/she will likely scramble to reach it. Even if you read that particular book every night for two weeks, make it fun and new. Remember, your child is absorbing everything so the more you read the more he/she learns.
If you have a baby that tends to be fussy or one that does not like bedtime, reading a book is a great way to get him/her to relax. Cuddling with the baby in a rocking chair while quietly reading a book is often all it takes to put him/her to sleep. However, the exciting aspect of reading is that it can also be used to stimulate your baby. For example, if you have a brightly colored book that is read with excitement and emphasis, your child will be drawn into the tone of your voice and the pictures in the book.
While reading to your baby, you are teaching not just about sound but also how to care for personal property. Teach your child to turn one page at a time, reading from left to right. To give your child the full benefits of a book, we recommend you go with those that feature both large print and pictures. You may even find your baby trying to read along with you so if he/she babbles while reading, just accept it as a part of the growing process.