Reading To Your Infant
Nothing is more important than reading to your child at an early age. By doing so your child will learn to like these special moments with you, will develop better communication skills & will be interested in reading at a later age.
It's never too early to start reading to your child . The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends reading aloud daily to your baby starting at 6 months of age — about the time when he'll really begin to enjoy looking at books with you. But I began reading to my child at 3 months. Eithim way, reading provides a great opportunity for snuggling and bonding. CONTINUED BELOW
Why is reading to my baby so important
for him?
Reading will help build your child's vocabulary, stimulate his
imagination, and improve his communication skills. Tthe more you speak
to your child, the better it is for his growth and development as
studies have shown that language skills & intelligence are related to
how many words an infant hears everyday. Infants whose parents spoke to
them a lot (an average of 2,100 words an hour) scored higher on standard
tests when they reached age 3 than did children whose parents hadn't
been as verbal. So read whenever you get a chance, whether on a stroll
through the local mall (pointing out the stores, colors, items, etc.) or
during feeding, naming the utensils, the foods, etc.
What should I read?
Read anything you'd like from children's books, magazines, the paper or
even a catalog as your child primarily focuses his attention on your
voice and the rhythm of your spoken words than actual content.
Exaggerate some words and repeat phrases to stimulate your child. You'll
soon notice that your infant will understand what you're doing and want
to read to you in return!
When your baby begins to understand words, you might want to find some
new materials to read him. Let him do some choosing though. Pick up some
books with colorful drawings and catchy phrases. Babies love to grab and
mouth everything they can reach, so board books or those will work the
best. Try out books with photographs, images hidden under flaps or
behind sliding partitions & short poems are always a hit.
How about videos and books on tape?
Don't expose your baby too much to audio books, radio & television
because they need the emotional connection with spoken words. Too much
radio or television will cause your baby to filter out the importance of
language as communication. Educational television programs should be
reserved for children over the age of 3, & should be limited.
