Why Reading To Your Baby Or Toddler Is So Important

When I was a kid, my parents never read to me. David's parents read to him and installed a love of reading that endures to this day. This is why we feel reading is so important to the development of our baby and we read to Willow every day. It turns out (no surprise here) that starting the reading trend with your baby and continuing with it as they grow is so very important. I was reading the July issue of Parents Magazine (yeah I know, I am behind) and came across the article "I love storytime: The Best Way to Read to Your Toddler". I would have linked to the article but it's not available on line. However, they do have two articles available on line which are very informative:

How to Introduce Baby to Books
Raising a Bookworm

We started reading to Willow practically right away. Establishing a set bedtime routine is essential to getting your baby to sleep through the night and babies and toddlers thrive on routine. We also read to her in order to have a little "settle down" time during the day. Right now she is at the stage where she loves to turn the pages, often at the expense of hearing the story, but who am I to complain?

According to Andrea Grimaldi, a senior program officer at the National Institute for Literacy, "Reading to your toddler is one of the best ways to boost language skills." When you read you are teaching your child about the sounds and structure of language while also helping to boost their vocabulary. Additionally if you start reading at an early age, you can help them to improve memory and attention span. I have seen this in action. One of Willow's favorite books is "I Love You Through and Through" and she anticipates all the parts I point to, on her, as we read the book together (and giggles when I touch her fingers and toes).

What's more (according to How to Introduce Baby to Books), sharing story time with an infant can boost her emotional development. "Being held on your lap and hearing your voice during regular reading sessions gives your baby a sense of stability and security," says Betty Ann Watson, EdD, director of early-childhood education at Harding University, in Searcy, Arkansas. "It also creates a positive association with books, and that encourages a lifelong love of reading."

According to Raising a Bookworm, "Books really do make a difference in children's speech," says Perri E. Klass, MD, a pediatric neurologist at Boston University Medical Center and medical director of the nonprofit agency Reach Out and Read. "Studies show that kids who've been exposed to a great deal of language, who've been read to regularly, who've grown up in homes rich in books and print, are more likely to arrive at school age with the pre-reading skills of book handling, storytelling, knowing the letters in the alphabet, and counting to 20."

So, we know reading is important but if you haven't started yet how do you start now? Here are some tips from the July article in Parents Magazine.

1. Add it to your routine. Set aside time every day. For a toddler, three 10-minute intervals per day is ideal.


2. Find a soothing setting. Since children are easily distracted, picking a quiet, comfortable, spot for reading is important.


3. Vary your reading list. Reading can spark the imagination for toddlers and help them to feel at ease about new experiences. The more types of books you introduce them to, the more they will learn!


4. Visit the library. This gives your child the chance to see other children reading and enjoying themselves.


5. Choose carefully. Selecting books that are age appropriate is important. For babies brightly colored picture books are great. For toddlers books about every day experiences are a good choice.


6. Offer a selection. Letting your child pick from two or three books helps to get them more involved in the reading process.


7. Be patient. If your child wants the same book over and over, that's okay! They learn through repetition!


8. Keep it fun. Dramatize the story and use different voices for different characters. Willow especially loves the animal sounds we make.


9. Ask questions. As your child gets older they can more actively participate in reading time by showing off their observation and problem-solving skills.


10. Link words to pictures. Pointing to a picture as you say the word helps your child to understand that what you are saying corresponds with what they are looking at.


11. Let your child touch the books. Letting them hold the book and showing how to turn the pages teaches them the basic mechanics of reading a book.


12. Coax a reluctant reader. If your child seems to lose patience quickly with reading, try different types of books to see what they are interested in. But don't force reading time. If they arent interested, take a break or try reading just before naps or bedtime when they will be more receptive to sitting and listening.

Reading to your child is an easy way to spend quality time with them that they will remember for a lifetime. And it doesn't have to cost you more than the gas to get to the local library.

Now that you are (hopefully) convinced that you should be reading to your child, here are some suggestions for books as recommended by Parents Magazine:

Baby (0-6 months)
Baby Faces (Miller, Margaret, Look Baby! Books.)
Happy Baby by Jo Douglass and Neville Graham
Red, Blue, Yellow Shoe by Tana Hoban
Where's Spot? by Eric Hill

Baby (6-12 months)
Bunny Cakes (Max and Ruby) by Rosemary Wells
Jamberry by Bruce Degen
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Who Said Moo? by Harriet Ziefert and Simms Taback

Toddler (12-18 months)
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Fuzzy Fuzzy Fuzzy!: a touch, skritch, & tickle book (Boynton, Sandra. Boynton Board Books.)
Time for Bed by Mem Fox
Where Is Baby's Belly Button? by Karen Katz
One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss

Toddler (18-24 months)
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
Eating the Alphabet: Fruits & Vegetables from A to Z by Lois Ehlert
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr. and Eric Carle
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

Additionally, if you are interested in learning about some of the books we regularly read to Willow, please check out our series: Reading to Willow!