Round one is done! You’ve survived the sleep-deprived mania of infancy and now you’re running after your baby as he reaches out and explores the world. Even though your baby may be months away from his first word, this is a great age to snuggle up together for some daily shared reading.
Before you pick up your next book, check out these insights from our experts. Find out how your baby is growing and changing, what to expect when you read together, and how you can help her learn to love books!
How Your Baby’s Developing
Your baby is creeping and crawling
toward independence.
Babies at this stage love to bang, drop, and throw things. Books should be sturdy enough to withstand the toss test.
Your baby is fascinated with everything around him. He’ll reach out and grab something or (when he’s ready) crawl over to get it and then bang on it! His attention span is short — and he’s touching and tasting almost everything he sees.
It’s hard to stop moving when there’s so much to explore! Make a game out of reading by encouraging your baby to crawl to a book.
Your baby likes to play simple games.
She likes to peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake and can even follow simple directions, like “Give me the book,” especially if you accompany the words with a gesture.
Your baby is learning the meaning of words.
You may be jotting down many important “firsts” in the baby book at this time — first crawls, first steps. And the first word is coming. But long before your baby talks, he’s learning the meaning of his first word — and his second, and his third. Your baby is discovering the meaning of new words every day — even if he doesn’t have the ability to speak them yet.
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