Books can be a lot of fun for kids and lead to a long relationship with the world of imagination. There are many benefits of reading to your baby, both medical and psychological. A study in Child Development demonstrated a link between reading to children and child’s language and cognitive development, as you immerse them in your voice and language patterns. Other studies have also showed that repetition of familiar books helps the babies relax and lowers their heart rate. Raising a reader is easy, since kids are easily interested in the bright beautiful pictures and the soothing sound of your voice. Here are some tips that can help you in the process.
Start at birth
Many doctors advise reading to your unborn baby during the pregnancy, as she will be able to hear your voice and later be soothed by a familiar story. Once the baby arrives, reading at night can become a wonderful ritual at bedtime and help promote an easy sleep routine. It’s also a nice way to unwind in between activities during the day, since kids need a break every now and then despite their active personalities. It doesn’t matter what you read – magazines, programs, or books. Baby books for the right age may be slightly more attractive later on for their colorful pictures and interesting textures on the pages.
Variety is magic
Changing up the types and textures of books makes the process more interesting. Just like visiting the same park may get tedious to a child, reading Good Night Moon every night will get old quickly. In the toddler years there will be even less patience. So change it up – offer books about people and animals, foods and cars, pop-up books and bath books, numbers and colors. It’s also a good idea to keep a different stash of books in different areas of the house where you spend time with the baby and shift those around, so they never get old.
Books for toys
No, I am not suggesting replacing all toys with books, but why not some? Carry a few books in your diaper bag in place of toys and you will have ready entertainment at lunch or during a break. Turning pages can be a very engaging activity and a great opportunity for you two to interact and bond. It’s a way to build the budding memory and grow vocabulary. Note that toddlers can get very rough with books (my son used to treat them as a push toy), so look for sturdier options and change them up to keep most looking fresh.
Be an example
My son has rarely seen me without a book or magazine in hand – reading is a perfect way to relax for me and he is quickly picking up my hunger for books. It’s a nice way to sit down and cuddle and spend time together. If your child can see you enjoying reading, he will see that reading is a worthwhile skill and would follow in your footsteps.
Make it into a live adventure
Connect a story with an outdoor activity. For example, read A Very Hungry Caterpillar and then follow it with a trip to the Botanic garden and look at flowers and butterflies. Or, read Three Little Ducks and watch the ducks and reminding your child of lines from the book. There is a great site that makes an adventure for you based on a book or film – KidsOffTheCouch.com. They pair the two brilliantly and as the name goes, this will actually get your kids off the couch and exploring the world. It works better for kids 2 and up.
Visit your local library
Many libraries have a dedicated children’s area where you can read books, play, go to a story hour, and participate otherwise. This is not just for winter time activities when you are looking for something to do indoors, this can become a fun activity and a place to meet other little bookworms. Plus, the library book collection will likely outdo your own, so it will be a nice variety. Once your child is able to print her name, she will be able to get her own library card – isn’t that exciting?
So read aloud, read together, and read on.
Now, find a book in our Baby Book shop!
