Have you been wondering how to read to your baby in a way that will stimulate language development?
In this video I’m going to talk about five things you can do to optimize your
story times to be educational experiences for your newborn to 12 month old baby.
Even before children understand exactly what we’re saying, they learn about communication
from interactions with us. By reading to your baby you expose them to all the
different sounds of your native language and help their brain build a rich network of words.
If you pick up a book and just read straight through it word for word without engaging your
child, it won’t be as much of an educational experience. So let’s jump into the things
you can do to optimize your story times, so that they stimulate your child’s development.
The first thing to do is create the right environment. Find a comfortable place to sit,
and have your baby sitting in your lap. This is a great time for you and your baby to bond. Spending
time reading to your child shows them that reading is important. And if babies are read to often
with excitement, joy and closeness, they develop a positive association with books and reading.
You might decide to have a go-to chair in the baby’s room or living room that you designate as
your reading spot. With repetition your child will start to anticipate that it’s time to read a book.
Do your best to create a distraction free environment to have your baby’s undivided
attention. Turn off electronics and remove anything else that may be a distraction.
Read to your baby during a time of day when your child is in a good mood, not tired or
hungry. Create the optimal setting for you and your baby to enjoy reading books together.
The second thing to do is choose age appropriate books. Since babies go through
a lot of changes in the first 12 months, they’re at different stages at the different
ages. Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing books for your baby’s age.
When they’re born, the baby's eyesight is not fully developed, and it improves during the first
several months of life. Initially they see high contrast black and white or high contrast color
patterns the best and at around 12 inches away. Choose small books that are easy to hold and turn
the pages while you’re holding the baby. Look for books with highly contrasting designs or images.
These will grab attention and make it easier for the baby to focus as their field of vision is
improving. Go with books that are simple, and have one or two objects on a page surrounded
by lots of empty space, and few or no words. Between 4 and 6 months, babies start to show
even more interest in books. They enjoy grabbing and holding books, putting them
in the mouth and chewing on them. For this age group choose sturdy vinyl or cloth books with
large pictures in bright colors. Make sure that the sentences are simple. Rhymes are a type of
sound that babies enjoy hearing at this age. One word per page books are also good since they help
in starting to build the baby’s spoken vocabulary. Sturdy board books with thick pages are great for
babies 6 months to 12 months of age. Choose books that have big,
bright, realistic but simple pictures of people, animals, familiar house objects,
and toys. Books with a single word and picture help infants learn that pictures have meanings.
During this age they’re also delighted with peek-a-boo, pop-up, touch-and-feel, lift-the-flap
and nursery rhyme books. These types of books are full of hidden surprises and encourage further
investigation. I have links to some great book options for babies in the description
below, if you’d like to check them out. The third thing to do is read in an engaging way
that holds your baby’s interest. You can achieve this by reading slowly, in a song-like voice,
using various voice inflections and making facial expressions as you’re going through the book.
By making sound effects and body movements, you'll make the story come alive. For example if there’s
a tiger on the page, you can make a roaring sound, and a hand motion to go along with it. You can
also make exaggerated emphasis on different elements in the book, such as pointing out
“look the cat is hiding in the basket!” Or pointing out a character in the book. For example
“That’s a cat, it says “meow”. The fourth thing to do is encourage
your baby’s participation. While you’re talking about the various things on the pages of the book,
take your baby’s hand and place it on top of each item as you’re talking about it. Or when
you’re reading the words on each page, guide your baby’s hand under each word as you’re saying it.
Once you notice that your baby wants to help with turning the pages, allow your child to participate
with the task. At 6 to 12 months, you may notice that your child starts showing a preference for
certain pictures, pages, or stories over others. While you read, your baby may respond by making
different sounds. As your baby gets closer to 12 months, you’ll see them start to spontaneously pat
or point to objects on a page and repeat sounds. The fifth thing to do is stay consistent with
reading books. Babies thrive on routines. Once you figure out the best time of day to read to
your baby, make it a part of your schedule as a daily routine. Even if it’s only for a few minutes
a day, engaging your child around a book does wonders for their development. By being consistent
in reading to your child, you model to them from a young age the importance of reading and
language. It’s great to have a variety of books that expose your child to different object names,
animals, colors and numbers. And it’s okay for you to reread those books even several times a
week. Much of a baby’s speech development has to do with hearing the same words used over and over
again. By drawing attention to the pictures and associating the words with real-world objects,
your child learns the names of the items and the importance of language.
The first several years of a child’s life are foundational for the development of speech,
language and cognitive skills. For this reason it’s very important to do activities that provide
them with the stimulation, positive role modelling and human contact they need to develop speech
and language skills. By creating the right environment, choosing age appropriate books,
reading in an engaging way while also encouraging your child’s participation, and remaining
consistent in reading books on a daily basis you will provide incredible opportunities for your
child’s speech and language development. See you in the next video.