Babies from 0 to 12 months will enjoy snuggling up and listening to a parent read to them. There are many varieties of cloth books, bath books and cardboard books to interest babies. Choose books that are bright and colorful or with lifelike pictures of common objects or people. At this young stage vary the story each time you read the book by talking about the pictures rather than following the exact text. When you do read the words, point to the text so that your baby starts to recognize the sound that goes with the words.

It is most important that parents make reading time an enjoyable, pleasant and fun experience for the baby so that he will associate reading with these attributes. It is also important to have a large number of books as parents easily get bored reading the same books every day. Children’s books are short in length so it is easy to read 5 or more a day. Libraries are a good resource to add a little variety to your own book shelf.

In a toddlers first year he will enjoy books with brightly colored pictures of familiar objects or people. At this age he will take and interest in the background details of the pictures. Books that have textured areas to touch, buttons with noises or music or flaps that lift up to reveal something underneath will all be suitable for this age group. Try making a book with photos of important people, animals or objects in your toddler’s life, it is guaranteed that he will love it.

At age 2 children will start to enjoy longer books and books that have more details in the pictures. Children at this age enjoy books that have common characters that appear in several books. They also enjoy rhyming books and books with repetition. Your 2 year old will enjoy reading the same book over and over again. Books that discuss concepts of size, number and color will also interest this age group.

Between 3 and 4 years children will enjoy imaginative stories. It is now time to introduce traditional stories such as The 3 Little Pigs and Goldilocks and The 3 Bears. Your child will enjoy reading the story over and over again. This age group will also enjoy reading books about nature and animals. At this age children may show individual preferences for particular types of books.

It is never too early to start reading to babies. Providing your child with a love of books is an invaluable gift that will benefit her in many ways. Reading develops imagination, concentration, attention span and expands vocabulary. Reading aloud to babies also develops good talking skills. Reading is a cozy way for parents and children to spend time together. Set aside time each day to share books with your child in an enjoyable and interactive way. By doing this you will be developing the foundation of your child’s future learning.

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