When to Start Reading to Your Babies and What Books to Choose
It is never too early to start reading to your children. Even during pregnancy, babies are receiving sensory stimulation from their surroundings, making it essentially the pre-natal period an opportune time to begin reading. Some parents play classical music, while others read to their babies in the womb, speaking directly to the child. The material can be anything from children's books to historical tales, depending on the parent's beliefs and preferences.
How Early Can You Start?
Despite the fact that your baby hasn't been born yet, they are already being influenced by the world around them, even as a fetus. Studies using fMRI brain imaging have shown that infants' brains react to sounds, such as parental arguments, even before birth, paying more attention to angry voices than happy or neutral tones. By seven months, infants are attuned to the emotional state of a voice.
Therefore, parents should take note: your baby may not understand your words, but your tone of voice is always understood. It is essential to pay attention to your speech and language during this formative period.
Books for Early Readers
Once your baby is born, the variety of books available for young readers is vast. Cloth and board books are particularly popular due to their durability and ease of use. Books such as Good Night Moon and Goodnight Gorilla are highly recommended for their simple, soothing illustrations and repetitive text. Jamberry is a great choice if you want to prepare your baby for fireworks, as it includes sound effects that can be enhanced with appropriate noises during read-aloud sessions.
Including books about baby animals can help them learn to love and value animals from an early age. The Ranger Rick Cub 0-4 magazine by the National Wildlife Federation is highly recommended as it provides engaging content suitable for very young readers. Additionally, during the transition phase, sports pages can also be a fun and stimulating option, as demonstrated in the movie Three Men and a Baby.
Making Storytelling Exciting
To make reading an engaging experience for your baby, consider memorizing some fairytales and telling them, giving each character a different voice. It's essential to choose stories you like, as you will be telling them often. Some parents might think it's too early to begin, but the joy of reading to your child is invaluable.
Take, for instance, the experience of the author. She didn't start telling tales till her son was five, but it didn't matter. He was already asking for the two fairytales she had learned, namely Hansel and Gretel and Rumpelstiltskin, which he enjoyed far more than all the books she had read to him. The importance here is the sound of your voice, not your storytelling skills.
Another valuable technique is to play a piece of music while dancing with your baby. You can choose a piece of music that your child will recognize from the womb. Over time, if your child starts fussing, playing that music can help them calm down and enjoy the moment, as the author discovered with her son.
The Value of Early Reading
The earliness of reading to babies can have significant benefits. For instance, when the author's son was nine months old, he saw the full moon through an east-facing door and said "ba," a word he used for ball, balloon, and bottle. The author quickly realized that her son was confusing the moon with these objects and quickly reached for Good Night Moon. The book helped her correct his misconception, and he quickly understood what the moon was.
Much like the ability to read, imagination should be prioritized initially. The author's son didn't learn to read until third grade, partly because he attended a Waldorf school and because it was later discovered that he had focusing issues which made his eyes tired. It's crucial to ensure a comprehensive eye check-up with an eye doctor.
While it's important not to push reading, the joy and imagination fostered through reading can be immensely beneficial. By the time the son was old enough to read, his first book was The Lord of the Rings, inspired by movies, given that his father was a fan. The author continues to read to her son after he was able to read on his own, showing that the positive benefits of reading extend well into later childhood.
Conclusion: Starting to read to your babies, even in the womb, can have a profound impact. Whether you're choosing classic fairytales or engaging baby animal books, the key is to make the experience joyous and nurturing. With the right book selection, you can lay a strong foundation for a lifelong love of reading and learning.