Reading to your baby builds more than a bond between the two of you. Every new word and idea to which your baby is exposed builds new brain cell connections. In addition, the time you spend reading to your children when they are babies will help decrease the amount of time you'll spend nagging them to read when they are older. Instilling a love of reading is one of the best things you can do for your baby.
The perfect crib, the cutest mobile, the most adorable wall hangings, and the most modern toys—looks like your nursery is ready for the new baby. What’s missing? Books.
Read from Day One
Many parents think babies are too young for books, but research shows that babies benefit from story time from the very beginning. Of course, tiny babies won’t know what the words mean and they won’t be able to focus on the pictures, but the pleasure of hearing your voice calms and soothes babies like nothing else. In addition, every time your baby is exposed to something new, he/she develops new brain cell connections. Every nursery rhyme and lullaby helps your baby’s brain grow. The first few months are the perfect time for soothing rhymes with gentle rhythms. Besides giving you some quiet, restful time with your new baby, this cuddly, cozy time with you is pleasant for your baby, and as he/she grows, reading will be associated with something pleasant. That connection definitely helps avoid those elementary school I-Hate-Books Blues.
Involving Your Baby
As your baby gets a little older, he/she will start to make connections between the words you read and the world outside the nursery. This is when books with simple words and pictures, lift-the-flap books, and touch-and-feel books work best. Babies love to look at pictures of other babies, familiar objects like cars and balls, and cute and cuddly animals. As you read the words, point to the pictures, and those brain cells will multiply like crazy. You’ll think your baby is a genius the first time you see him point at a pig and hear that precious “oink, oink.” Another benefit of these books is the development of fine motor skills. Babies will be determined to find out what’s under that flap, and manipulating the pages helps improve hand-eye coordination.
To help you get started, I’ve listed the ten books I believe every nursery must have. Of course, there are thousands of books out there to choose from, but these have been proven to appeal to babies and toddlers, and most of them are fun for the parents, too. Just remember: What book you read to your baby isn’t that important. The purpose of reading to babies is to develop a bond between the baby and the parent, to expose the baby to new words and concepts, and to show your baby just how fun reading can be.