Reading to Children

When should you start reading to children? Undoubtedly you received a slew of books for your baby from family members and friends before the arrival of your little one. You probably stacked them on a shelf or bookcase somewhere, fondly remembering your favorite titles from your own childhood.

Now what? When should you start reading these books to your child? Considering that a newborn will have only the vaguest sense of what's going on, it can be tempting to put it off until sometime later. This can be a mistake. Reading to your children early on-even from birth-can be valuable to them for years to come.

Benefits of Reading to Children
Reading to children gets them interested in books. Even if they don't understand what you're saying or what it is they're looking at, they enjoy the time you spend with them. When reading becomes a daily ritual, it can also grow into a lifelong memory.

Reading gives children exposure to different words, sounds and rhythms. They may hear plenty of language during the day as you and others talk to them, but books introduce new concepts (like rhyming) and words. Books also introduce topics that you normally wouldn't bring up during the course of a day. Studies have shown that preschoolers who have been exposed to a variety of language and books do better in school.

Reading to Babies
When a baby tries to look at the book you're reading and focus on the images, it's helping to strengthen his or her eyes. Repeatedly hearing words can help babies become familiar with them and remember them down the road. The connection that your baby will make as she hears the same word and sees a picture will help her to learn language more quickly. 

Pick large books with bright colors and simple pictures, since your baby's undeveloped eyesight won't be able to see some of the books designed for toddlers. You can also read books or poetry to your child that you enjoy, so that your baby gets a sense of your love for reading as well as the benefits of hearing you read to him. Sturdy books made of cloth or vinyl are great for babies, who often show their appreciation for literature by eating the book.

How to Encourage a Love of Reading
Even if reading isn't really your thing, that doesn't mean your kids won't love it. The best way to get kids interested in books and eventually wanting to read on their own is to make reading fun. When your child is an infant, choose books with bright colors and fun textures for them to explore. As they get older you can pick books about topics that they enjoy.

Make the process of reading fun. Get comfortable and let kids choose the book to read when they're old enough. Take your time reading the book, saying words slowly so that your child can understand and process what you're saying. 

For babies and young toddlers, have them point to objects in the book and name them, if they can. Or you may ask, "Where is the dog?" and have them point to the dog. Praise them when they correctly identify an object to instill that reading is fun and something that they're good at. Talk about the pictures on each page before turning to the next.

When kids are this age, your voice should have a singsong tone to keep your kids entertained. Another way to keep them interested in the book is to use different voices for different characters and be animated when making noises, such as a lion roaring. Your kids may even try to imitate you, barking like a dog or repeating words that they can understand. 

When your toddler is a little older, between two and four years old, reading becomes a bit more advanced. Let your child study the pages before you read. This will help him to guess what he thinks may happen in the book and be interested in the outcome. Follow the words with your finger so that your child can associate what you're saying with what they're seeing. Ask lots of questions of your toddler, such as "Why is the boy crying?" and "What happens next?" Afterward you can have a mini-discussion about what your child liked and didn't like about the book.

Your child will probably enjoy reading on her own after that-with you to keep her company, of course. Kids like to show that they are independent and can do things on their own, and that's exactly what your little one will do. Let your child read with you to start, both of you saying the words as you point to them. Correct your child when he makes a mistake so that he learns from it, and then continue on. 

Read to your kids every day and night, if possible. Make reading part of the bedtime ritual to help calm kids and prepare them for sleep. Remember that books are toys to kids, so reading can be a part of playtime as well as quiet time.