"Children are made readers on the laps of their parents." -Emilie Buchwald
Reading to your infant is one of the most rewarding gifts you can give them.
With rapid development that occurs in the very first year of life, babies benefit from singing, nursery rhymes, and daily story time - not to mention the special cuddle time with your precious bundle.
10 Easy Ideas
- Create a special book shelf. Soon, they will be crawling to their favorite book!
- Devote 15 minutes a day to reading.
- Choose repetitive, simple board books that are sturdy, too;
- Sing and recite nursery rhymes daily.
- Point to animals and pictures to direct their eyes to specific things on the page.
- Add movement and touching. Gently bounce your baby in your lap!
- Hold the book so your baby can take in the pictures easily.
- Let babies hold and play with books (board books are great for teething nibbles).
- Read expressively, or use your own words to better suit your baby.
- Visit the library and story time outside your home.
Top 10 Books for Infants
- Pat the Bunny, by Dorothy Kunhardt
- Good Night Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown
- I Kissed the Baby, by Mary Murphy
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carl
- My Very First Mother Goose, by Iona Archibald Opie
- Do Pigs Have Stripes?, By Melanie Walsh
- My Big Book of Everything, by Roger Priddy
- Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom, by Bill Martin, Jr. et al
- Owl Moon, by Jane Yolan
- Dr. Seuss Series
