Once Upon a Baby

David Miadovnik

Child development experts have been telling parents, for what seems like forever, about the benefits of reading to your child. Now no onecan doubt that fact, but there is one element ofreading to your child that is commonlyoverlooked by people – reading to your baby.
It is understandable that parents would thinkthat if a child were too young but there is one element ofreading to your child that is commonlyoverlooked by people – reading to your baby. It is understandable that parents would thinkthat if a child were too young to understandwhat is being read, that it would just be an emptygesture. However, as it turns out, even babieslove a good yarn.
According to Invest in Kids, a national charitygeared towards helping parents in the healthydevelopment of children under five years old,reading is an excellent bonding opportunitybetween child and parent. Babies enjoy beingheld close and hearing their parent’s voice.The sound of different words slowly teachesinfants their meaning and facilitates in thebabies’ language development.
Reading to babies just before their bedtimemakes them feel secure, comforted, loved, andprecious to the parent reading. To help engagethe little ones, try changing the tone of yourvoice as the story progresses, or using reallyanimated facial expressions.
Invest in Kids recommends to allow babies toplay with and touch books, so that they learnabout different textures.
Another way to help stimulate your baby’s loveof reading is to register for The ImaginationLibrary, but there is one element ofreading to your child that is commonlyoverlooked by people – reading to your baby. It is understandable that parents would thinkthat if a child were too young to understandwhat is being read, that it would just be an emptygesture. However, as it turns out, even babieslove a good yarn.
According to Invest in Kids, a national charitygeared towards helping parents in the healthydevelopment of children under five years old,reading is an excellent bonding opportunitybetween child and parent. Babies enjoy beingheld close and hearing their parent’s voice.The sound of different words slowly teachesinfants their meaning and facilitates in thebabies’ language development.
Reading to babies just before their bedtimemakes them feel secure, comforted, loved, andprecious to the parent reading. To help engagethe little ones, try changing the tone of yourvoice as the story progresses, or using reallyanimated facial expressions.
Invest in Kids recommends to allow babies toplay with and touch books, so that they learnabout different textures.
Another way to help stimulate your baby’s loveof reading is to register for The ImaginationLibrary,

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