Land of Once Upon A Time: Tips for Reading to Babies + 25 Book Recommendations

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Reading with your baby is one of the most important things you can do together! It enhances your child's language skills by being exposed to a variety of words and new vocabulary, it helps you to bond with your baby, and it builds a foundation of literacy skills that can influence his success as a reader. Today I'm sharing my best tips for reading with your baby along with 25 of my favorite books for the littlest learners. Any (or all) of these books would be a great addition to a home library or gift for someone expecting.

Read Aloud Tips with Babies

Consider buying cloth books or "board" books. Books that you begin reading early in your child's life will undoubtedly become some of his favorites that you will be reading over and over, and they will need to last awhile. Plus, once he learns how to reach for books and handle them on his own, they will become his favorite snack.
Select books that have bright, high contrast colors, or interesting photographs (especially of faces) – all of which babies enjoy looking at.
Be sensitive to your baby’s cues. If he starts to cry, that may mean that he's not into story time, even though you are. If he looks away, it may be a cue that he's being overstimulated. Try to understand his needs and respond appropriately.
Read and repeat! Children enjoy and learn through repetition and it helps boost memory, so don’t be afraid to read the same books over and over again.
Choose books or poetry that have a nice rhythm, or rhyme – which help to bring a baby’s attention to the different sounds in words.
Make reading fun and enjoyable by cuddling, making facial expressions, and varying your intonation. A love of reading is built on pleasurable experiences!