Why Reading To your Baby is Important

October 22nd, 2013 | By: Nancy Ripton

Introducing books at an early age is the best way to raise a child who enjoys reading and does well in school. Here’s how to share story time with your little one.

As I sat reading Goodnight Moon night after night to my unresponsive one-month-old, it was difficult to convince myself this classic was actually for his benefit. But experts recommend reading to your newborn from day one. "They won't understand the story or be able to follow along, but they will benefit from the intonation and inflection in your voice," says Dr. Tanya Remer-Altman.

Reading to your child encourages speech and language development and is a great way for you to interact and communicate with your baby early on. Studies also show that the earlier babies are exposed to reading, the more they will enjoy reading and learning and the better they will perform in school. Here's how to get started with your little one:

Keep it short: Infants have short attention spans, so read for 10 to 15 minutes, once or twice a day.
What to read: For the first few months, read what you enjoy. After that, use board or fabric books so your baby can explore the book with you. "It's okay if they eat the pages," says Dr. Remer-Altman. By four or five months, babies like to look at images they are familiar with–other babies, animals, basic objects.
Repetition: If you read the same story over and over, your baby will learn at what points he should laugh and get excited by the changes in your voice.
Watch baby evolve: By six to nine months, your baby will start to copy you and turn multiple pages at a time. They will also be able to engage in flip up books.
An enlightened reader: By about one-year your child will be able to flip single pages in a book. They will also stop using the pages as a teether, so it's a great time to start introducing paper books.

Meet our Expert:

Dr. Tanya Remer-Altman is mother and UCLA-trained pediatrician, practicing in Southern California. She is on the advisory boards for LA Parent and Healthy Children magazines and is editor-in-chief of the AAP parenting book The Wonder Years. She is also the author of Mommy Calls: Dr. Tanya Answers 101 Most Common Questions About Babies and Toddlers.