Although my daughter is still an infant, reading is always an important part of our daily routine. Sometimes I read her the colourful books featured on her book wall in the nursery, and other times I read her whatever Mama is reading at the moment.
After all, with the exception of the brightly coloured pictures in her story books, she can hardly tell the difference at her age.
My Mom began reading to me when I was under 6 months of age, and this love for reading has stayed with me into adulthood. I have very fond memories of being excited about books and spending hours in the library as a child, and that is a passion that I would like to instill in my daughter as she grows.
The Benefits of Reading to Your Baby
What is important is that she is being exposed to reading in general. She is being familiarized with the vocabulary and imagery that comes along with it.
Although she may not understand much of what she is hearing, reading is extremely important even from her young age.
When I Started Reading to my Baby
I began reading to my daughter from the time that she was in my belly. I would clutch a book or my phone in hand and read out loud while rubbing my stomach, especially once I started to feel her moving.
It was fun to use different voices and tones, all in the hope that it would familiarize her with mommy’s voice.
Once she was born, my daughter would become very still, stare in the direction of my voice as I read and listen intently before usually quickly drifting off to sleep after a short bit of time. This is why I added reading to our nap and bedtime routine.
During the day when she is active and alert, both my husband and I read to her often. We use vibrant and colourful voices and try to engage her in the story.
We make an effort to point out the images or act out what we are reading about. As her comprehension improves, it is our hope that these actions will begin to help her make sense of the stories that she is hearing.
How to Establish the Habit of Reading to Your Baby
Creating a reading corner and mini-library was a must for me when we designed our daughter’s nursery. You can read more about our nursery designing process in this post.
We chose a little corner in the room, added wall shelves and stocked it with books from before she was born. We try to add at least one book on a monthly basis so that her library can grow as she gets older. This way, by the time she is old enough to read on her own, she will have a collection of books.
Books are a great cost-effective option to add to your baby registry. Check out this post to learn all about creating a baby registry.
Try this:
Another unique idea I have seen some women do is to ask for baby books instead of cards during their baby shower. Guests can write a special message to the baby inside of the book, that the baby will be able to cherish for years.
These are wonderful ways to grow your baby’s reading collection from early on!
In order to foster a love of reading it is important to encourage reading in a variety of settings and at different opportunities. While your child is still a baby, you can read children’s books, articles you are interested in, or even make up stories. I even read instruction manuals out loud.
What is important is that the child is being exposed to words, a range of vocabulary and various forms of communication.
We choose comfortable areas in our home, like our nursery glider or on our bed before we place her into her crib to nap. We reinforce this reading routine regularly.
The Benefits of Reading to Your Baby from an Early Age
As a therapist who has worked in an educational setting for over 10 years I see the benefit that early and continued exposure to reading has on children of all ages.
Not only is it usually easy to identify an early reader, but I find that the benefits of reading extend beyond reading comprehension or aptitude. Let me explain how!
” By the age of 2, children who are read to regularly display greater language comprehension, larger vocabularies and higher cognitive skills than their peers”. ~H. Raikes, 2002
Reading can benefit babies even before they can talk. Research from the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) has indicated that reading to young children causes activity in the brain related to reading skill, image and verbal development. This is a prime example of how establishing a reading routine early on can have cognitive benefits.
Reading can also be a great way to “play” with a baby, which is important during their first few months of life.
Books can also make great take-a-longs on car rides and road trips. To read more about items you should pack for a trip with your baby, check out this post.
Why You Should Read to your Baby from Birth!
Below I share some of the clearest benefits of establishing an early reading routine with your baby. If the first 4 advantages don’t encourage you, let the quality time that you will share with your baby be the nudge that you need!
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Reading to Your Baby Teaches and Encourages Communication
Reading is one of the best ways other than talking to your baby to help them develop their communication skills. It is a great way to expose them to dialogue and conversations that will help them to understand how to converse themselves.
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Reading to Your Baby Teaches Babies about the World
Reading exposes babies to diverse stories and information about various topics, which helps them to form an understanding of the world outside of their immediate environment.
For example, a baby may have never had the opportunity to visit a jungle, but from the colourful imagery in books, they may grasp an understanding of what to expect or what they would observe in that kind of setting.
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Reading to Your Baby Familiarizes Babies with Important Concepts such as Numbers, Colours, Letters, Shapes and Seasons
Particularly in children’s books, key concepts are usually taught and emphasized to help babies understand and process these ideas. Early exposure to reading can help babies to learn about these concepts in an exciting and memorable way.
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Reading to Your Baby Helps them to Develop Listening, Vocabulary and Memory Skills
During a baby’s first few years of development they are fine tuning their listening, vocabulary and memory skills. Reading is a one of the best ways to help them build on these skills and establish a strong start.
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Reading to Your Baby Helps you to Bond with Your Baby
Establishing an early reading routine is a great way to forge a bond and spend quality time with your baby.
Especially if reading is done on a regular basis, for example each night before bed, babies can learn to anticipate this quality time as a part of their broader routine. The time that you spend with them is invaluable, especially because they grow and develop quickly.
One plus about reading at bedtime is that research indicates that babies who have a consistent bedtime routine tend to fall asleep faster and sleep better.
What Books Should You Read to Your Baby?
You can read just about any books with your baby! Babies who are 0-3 months love high contrast black and white picture books, and beyond 3 months they begin to love colours and patterns. By 6 months you can begin to introduce sensory stimulating books, such as pop-up books or books with varying textures.
Now that I have shared some of the key benefits to establishing a reading routine early on with your baby, I will share some of our family’s favourite books! We have really enjoyed reading these books with our daughter since she was born.
I enjoy collecting books about different topics and at different reading levels. This is so she can be familiar with a range of books as she ages, until she is ready to read them on her own.
For now, my husband and I enjoy reading these books to her, but soon enough with continued exposure to reading, I won’t be surprised if she learns to love reading them to us!
Our Current Top Favourite Books!
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- Love You Forever – Written By: Robert Munsch
Growing up, Robert Munsch was my favourite authors and I have really loved getting to share his books with my daughter.
This particular book is one that I loved to read as a child. It has a beautiful message about love and caring, perfect to share with your baby.
- The Paperbag Princess – Written By: Robert Munsch
This is another book that I really loved as a child(I’m sure that you can tell from the cover that this book has come a long way lol).It demonstrates strength and perseverance by a female character, a message that I love sharing with my daughter so that as she grows up she knows how powerful she is. - JoJo & GranGran Go to the Beach – Written By: Laura Henry-Allain
This is a recent addition to our library, that we received as a gift! We quickly fell in love with it! Jojo and GranGran is a fun book that emphasizes a love for family and adventure.Because we live on the island of St. Lucia I love that this book talks about visiting the beach, something that my daughter will be able to relate to.
- Touch & Feel Pet Animals – Written By: Layla McGrath
What I love about this book is that it is a touch and feel book, which is a great option for babies. Each page features a different pet along with a piece of fabric that teaches children what that pet’s skin or coat feels like.It is a great sensory tool for babies, as they are learning to process and understand their senses and the world around them. - Rainforest Friends – Written By: Slade Stone
This colourful book is all about exploring and making friends in the rainforest. My daughter is at the stage where she is really loving stuffed animals. Her favourite for now is a toucan, just like the main character in this book!
Next on our reading list is:
My Skin, Your Skin – Written By: Laura Henry-Allain
Teaching about differences and similarities is such an important lesson for children. I think that this book really captures these concepts well, and in a dynamic way. The illustrations are vibrant and captivating too!
For now, this book is far above my daughter’s comprehension level, but I will still enjoy reading it to her and showing her the beautiful illustrations!
Once she is old enough to understand everything she is hearing, I know that this book will help me to have some serious and important conversations with her about her identity, racism, culture and physical and social differences.
What are your and your child’s favourite books?
Final Thoughts
Reading is an essential life skill. When you begin to form a foundation for reading early on with your children it has lasting implications that can benefit them throughout their life.
I hope that you have internalized some of the important benefits of reading to your baby. I encourage you to help them to develop a love for reading from young, so that this can grow with them as they age.
Be sure to check out some of mine and my daughter’s favourite books when creating your family’s reading corner or library collection.
I Would Love to Hear from You!
I would love to hear about your favourite reads that you enjoy with your little one(s). Feel free to leave me a note in the comments or reach out to me here.
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!! There is a study about how children who were read to from a young age grow up to be smarter than their peers who were not.
The question the study answers is, “Are you smart because you were born smart, or are you smart because you were read to from a young age?”
Reading to children at a young age is what makes them smart, as they’re not born that way. It increases the chances of them learning to read before or during kindergarten at a faster rate than their peers who weren’t read to.
I’m not a parent, but I have loved some children like they were my own because I helped raise them and was there since their birth. I would only ever adopt if I chose to have kids, so I define parenting differently. 🤷♀️ I tend to read children diverse books and books that teach emotional regulation. One of my favorites is “The Rabbit Listened”. Another favorite is “The Kissing Hand”.
Thanks for your post and for these great suggestions! I will definitely check them out, as we are always looking to add to our reading collection 😊
Indeed reading is essential for infants and it is never too early to start activating a kids cognitive skills….you are well on your way mommy!!
Some of the family don’t believe in reading and think it is not beneficial. But, this shows that it does really help. Thank you for sharing!
Such a great post! I recently got into reading since the pandemic. Best part of my day!
This is SO important! My kids are adults now, but one is an English professor! I read to my kids all.the.time and both of them are avid and voracious readers. Plus, they can actually read BOOKS…long ones!
This really needs to be shouted from the rooftops to everyone who is a parent, or will become one.