Reading books, sharing stories, talking about pictures, and singing nursery rhymes and songs help your baby develop in many ways. These fun activities if conducted daily help your baby get familiar with speech sounds, words, books, and pictures, which in turn, builds your little one's early language and literacy skills, as well as helping their reading proficiency as they grow. It is also a great way for you to spend quality time and bond with your little one.
If you have ever wondered, "When should I start reading to my baby?", the answer is it is never too early to start! As a matter of fact, some parents start to read to their baby as early as pregnancy while others start as soon as birth.
Here are some tips on how you can help your baby learn and develop through reading with you.
- follow your baby's lead, read slowly, and spend time looking at pictures after you read the words — this allows your baby to focus on the sounds and shapes of words and also on pictures.
- turn the page slowly to show your baby how to use a book.
- pinpoint, name, and talk about the things your baby sees on the page, instead of just reading the words.
- change the tone of your voice as you read to make it easier for your baby to recognize different speech sounds, which is an important aspect towards learning to talk.
And here are some fun tips to make the most of reading time with your child.
- make reading time a routine by creating a special and comfy place where you and your child go to read.
- switch off the TV and radio, put your mobile devices on silent, and find a quiet space so your child can hear your voice.
- use actions and facial expressions to get your child's attention and add meaning to words and pictures.
- have some fun by making funny sounds and noise!
- make relations between the pictures in books and your child's life.
- hold your child close or on your lap while you read, so they can see your face, actions, and the book.
- be guided by your little one's cues as there will be days they don't feel like reading, and that's okay!
- be ready to read the same book over and over again as young children like repetition, and it helps them learn.
Here are some books that you can find on Babydash.
Jellycat Kitten Tails Activity Book
LeapFrog My First Violet Book™
LeapFrog Prep for Preschool Activity Book
