What is the Right Age to Start Reading to Babies?

From the time you conceive to the time you deliver and bring the baby home, you spend a lot of time thinking about what you will do with the baby. All mothers want to give the best to the baby. I often see moms asking what to do with the baby when they are not sleeping. There are many things which you can do but one thing that tops my list is reading to babies. Many believe that the child is too small to be read to but you will be amazed to see the benefits of reading to infants and toddlers. The child might not understand what you are saying but reading aloud to them has many advantages.

Benefits of Reading to Infants and Toddlers

Reading to Babies Helps You Connect

There are many benefits of reading to infants and toddlers but what is most important in my opinion is that it helps you build a bond with your child. The child after coming out from the protected environment of the womb loves the voices of his parents and being close to them especially the mother as these are the only two things that are familiar to him in this strange world. Reading aloud to the baby gives him these two. Reading to babies gives them a sense of security which has a positive impact on their growth. In this way, you also end up spending uninterrupted time daily with the little one, which strengthens the bond.

Reading to Babies and Brain Development

The baby we bring to this world is like a plain canvas that gradually gets filled with colors. As Miss A is turning 4 soon, I feel the growth a child shows in the first three years is astounding. No child comes with a guide and each parent is anxious about how to bring them up the right way. Their brains are working nonstop and imbibing things around them at all times. Reading to babies helps them develop language skills and learn concepts and form channels for thoughts. With all these, the thinking and learning ability of the child enhances.

Increase Vocabulary by Reading to Babies

The child’s exposure to various words increases multifold as they read more and more. When we read aloud to babies, they hear lots of words, some of which we will not be able to say in the daily course. The development of vocabulary is one of the main benefits of reading to infants and toddlers as this helps them in the long run. The cognitive development of a child is influenced by the vocabulary and thus, reading to them is helpful. The child might not start speaking anytime but his little brain starts storing these words and it is a proven fact, children with a better vocabulary tend to speak sooner than others.

Reading to Babies Boosts Brain Power

As per a study, ‘Reading at home with children from an early age was strongly correlated with brain activation in areas connected with visual imagery and understanding and meaning of language.’ (Time.com). Reading to babies affects the processing speed of the brain. They not only have a better vocabulary and can read fast but they also have a better sense of reasoning and they remember concepts better. Reading especially speed reading, is thus, a very important part of right brain development programs for kids. 

Reading teaches them Emotions

When we read aloud to babies we use various emotions and expressions to make it more fun and to convey the thoughts. This gives the child exposure to different sounds and thus, different emotions. The child learns to correlate expressions and sounds to different emotions and this helps them develop an emotional quotient which in the long run has more benefits than the intelligence quotient.  

Reading gives them a Life-Long Friend

Last but not the last, reading to babies from a very early age shows them the importance of books and reading. Books can be a lifelong friend to your child and a constant companion who ensures they are never bored. Reading is one of the best habits a child can develop and when the parents start reading to babies at a very early age, it becomes a routine and they develop a habit which they will cherish always. 

Tips on Reading to Babies

Reading to babies as we said is a bonding time for the parents and child and thus, a very important daily activity which you both can do. However, it is helpful to keep some tips in mind to ensure you get the maximum benefits of reading to infants and toddlers.

• Make a daily routine to read at a fixed time like before going to bed. This also calms the baby and they know it’s time to sleep
• Cuddle with the baby when you read to ensure they are comfortable and warm
• Use different emotions and voices to help them distinguish between characters and emotions
• Ask questions when reading. Initially, the child will not answer but they will learn when you answer for them. This will help in building their ability to ask and answer questions
• Read the same books again and again as most kids love it and they also learn many things apart from the story
•  As the baby grows get the touch and feel books or may be some books they can hold and feel

(You may like to read our post, Best First Books That Your Baby Will Love)

Conclusion

Reading to a new born baby might seem to be a waste of time for many but trust me, it has many benefits. Reading to babies and brain development go hand in hand as a child is like a sponge, where they absorb everything that they hear and see around them. The brain develops a lot all the time and reading to babies is a great way to boost development. So if you have not started yet, start reading to your baby soon, because it is never too late.  

This post is a part of “How to become a profitable blogger” blog train. hosted by Neha and Surbhi. I am growing my blog and learning to be profitable with Grow Your Blog Challenge.

I am growing my blog with Surbhi from http://www.prettymummasays.com/ and Neha from https://bloggingmadeeasier.com/ and https://www.sharingourexperiences.com/