When Should I Start Teaching My Baby to Read?

Why Read to Babies?

Reading together when babies are as immature as four months former increases the chances that parents continue reading to babies every bit they go older. Outset early is important because the roots of linguistic communication are developing in a baby'south encephalon even before he tin talk! The more words your baby hears over fourth dimension, the more words he learns.

Reading: Ages and Stages

Here are some general guidelines for what types of books are a good fit from nascence to 3, along with some can't-miss parent tips for book-sharing in the early years. Letting your child love books in the ways he knows how at each age fosters literacy skills from nascence to 3, and across!

Your Child's Age	Books for Infants	Tips for Parents
Birth-vi Months	Go alee and start reading chunky board books, soft fabric books, or vinyl bath books.	Though your babe may seem too little to understand, she enjoys your visitor and the sounds of your vocalism and words. At this age, babies may come to recognize the volume-sharing routine by calming, widening their optics, or smiling and kicking to bear witness excitement. Babies volition too want to explore books through their senses by grabbing and chewing on the book. They may not pay attention to the whole story, so take a break when they get bored (looking away, arching back, closing eyes, crying).
6-9 Months	Offering short, simple stories with colorful illustrations—board books are perfect.	Babies may brainstorm to explore books by looking, touching (opening/closing), and mouthing them. By ix months, they may adopt or seem to recognize certain stories or pictures. Your baby may besides continue to occasionally mouth books. In the early years, that is a normal book beliefs and tells united states that babies want to explore books!
9–18 Months	Offering board books with simple stories. Stories with rhymes and phrases that repeat likewise catch your toddler's attention. Children this age also beloved stories with pictures of other babies and familiar objects, such as animals.	Your toddler may have a favorite story that she requests all the time. Starting at about 12 months quondam, you tin can start to ask simple questions most the pictures such as "Where is the moon?" and scout to see if your baby points or gestures.
eighteen–24 Months	Introduce longer stories (perhaps with paper pages, though supervise carefully) with more than complex plots. Humor is a big selling betoken at this age, as are dizzy rhymes.	Don't worry if your toddler runs away when yous read—kids this historic period simply really need to move. If yous keep reading, he'll keep listening, and he may come back to reconnect and hear more. Look for ways to connect that energy to the story, such as asking your kid to hop like the rabbit in the volume. Your toddler might too be able to label objects with simple sounds or words, for instance, exclaiming "Moo!" when he sees a picture of a moo-cow. For new talkers, go far the habit of pausing earlier you say a favorite line or phrase in the story to come across if your toddler will fill in the concluding word. Harness your toddler'southward growing independence and give your kid the "job" of turning pages. While reading, take some time to talk over what's happening in the pictures and ask questions almost the volume such equally "Who is hiding backside the tree?" This interaction helps to build your toddler's thinking and language skills.
24–36 Months	Your child may be fix for books with regular pages and those that have an engaging plot (extra points for humour, rhymes, and great illustrations). Nonfiction stories—such as a book most construction vehicles, stories about animals or seasons, or books that discuss jobs such as dr. or mail carrier—are too of interest to toddlers who are working hard to effigy out how the world works.	At this age, you can enquire questions virtually the story that are a little tougher such equally "How do you call up the boy is feeling?" or "What practice you think will happen next?" Make connections between the book and your child'south life by asking questions such as "The boy in this story played in the snow. What did you lot practise in the snow this afternoon?" Past iii years old, your child may even be able to tell you the story based on what's happening in the pictures. And don't be surprised if your lilliputian one wants to hear the same volume over and over. Toddlers nonetheless love repetition and won't tire of a story, even the 7th fourth dimension.

Finally, retrieve that telling your child a story tin can happen any time. Give it a try during mealtimes, diaper changes, driving to child care, and correct before bed when you "tell the story" of your child'due south day. Each of these moments creates an opportunity to build a deeper connection with your kid and to build her language and literacy skills, too!

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Nearly Baby Steps

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Source: https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/1833-read-early-and-often

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