Why Reading Is Important
Your baby gets to know the sound of your voice.
When you read aloud to your baby, she’s listening to the sounds and patterns of her family’s language, brought to her by her favorite soothing voice.
Your baby has time to focus on pictures.
Babies see a lot of new things every day, and it all goes by very fast. The great thing about pictures in books is that they don’t move or change. A book gives your baby a chance to study objects closely. As you read the words, your baby is “reading” the pictures.
Your baby begins to love books.
When you fill your child’s life with books, you connect reading together with having fun together. Your child learns that books are full of fascinating words and pictures, and new worlds to explore.
How to Read to Your Six- to Twelve-
Month-Old
Bring the books to your baby.
Settle into a chair, on the floor, in bed, or in the car. Anywhere will do, as long as there’s room for a book, your baby, and you!
Crawlers have a hard time sitting still. Save longer books for quiet moments before nap and bedtime.
Your baby can sit up by herself! Open a book and ask, “Where is the _____? There it is!”
Expect your baby to wiggle as you read.
There will be some magical moments when your baby cuddles up into your lap and attentively listens as you read. But you’ll probably be able to count those moments on one hand. Don’t be surprised if your baby rolls on top of the book, crawls away from it, or grabs it! Let him take the book and pick up another, or turn it into a game. Enjoy the time and the process — if his attention wanders too much, he’s telling you it’s time to stop.
Make reading an interactive experience.
Sit across from each other and hand books back and forth. Look for books with textures that can be touched and sturdy pages that are easily turned.
Take-Away Reading Tips
- Choose books with repeating words, rhymes, pictures of animals, and pictures of familiar objects.
- Look for books your baby can interact with, such as lift-the-flap books.
- Try taking a verbal break and just turn the pages for your baby while she looks at the pictures. Give her time to find her own story in the artwork.
- Put books in every room your baby spends time in, and keep them where he can get to them easily—piled in a basket, not spine-out on a shelf. If the books are accessible, you’ll both pick them up more often.
- Let your baby set the pace of your reading time. Encourage him to touch and help turn the pages.
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