Best Books for Babies & Why You Should Read To your Kids

Hi all,

Excited to bring you a brand new post and today we’re talking about books for babies and toddlers. I bought several when I was expecting Oliver and wanted to share some of those with you plus go into detail on why we should be reading to babies early and my Dr C’s Tips to how to read to your child. So let’s dive in:

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Why reading to a baby is important

While Oliver may not understand what I’m reading to him just yet & won’t for a while, here are some #DrCsTips on why early exposure to books & reading to your baby is still a good idea:

Biggest 3 reasons is that it can promote social and emotional development, as well as language:

-Oliver is able to hear and be exposed to a variety of emotions and expressive sounds when I read to him.

-Reading to Oliver can also help foster joint attention- this is when Oliver is able to pay attention to the same thing as me & reading encourages pointing, looking, and touching. This skill is a precursor for language development & develops around 9 month.

-It can also help foster a love of reading if he is able to associate reading with feelings of happiness and excitement.

-Kids who are read to know more words by age 2 than kids who have not been read to.

How to read to your baby or child

When I read, I try to point, use an animated voice, play with the tone of my voice (when appropriate), & I have fun with facial expressions.

When Oliver shows interest in another page, I stop & point to the picture he’s interested in. This conversation-like style also promotes turn taking.

I read aloud for a few minutes each day and during his bedtime routine and before naps. I purposely added it to his bedtime routine so it’s predictable & he knows what to expect. Sometimes we get through the book and sometimes we only read a few pages.

Babies love repetition so it’s okay to read the same book over and over.

I ask questions every once in a while. I know he can’t answer me so I answer it myself.

As for type of books, consider the following:

For infants:

Look for high contrast black and white books with little or no text.

For 4- 6 months: we are in this age range.

He’s finally showing interest in books (he’s grabbing & looking at them).

I look for texture & thick board books (he can grab) with bright colors that are repetitive and rhyme.

6 months-12 months:

Books that rhyme and are repetitive!

Books for Babies and Toddlers

There are many classics that I just had to buy: Dr. Seuss, Winnie-The-Poo, Curious George, etc. But I also found some books that are in fact some of his favorites right now and they’re crinkley, developmentally appropriate books. For example, Smart Owl is a great book because babies only see in black and white in the first few months, and this book is mostly black and white. Plus its pages have different sensory items such as crinkle pages, a teether ring and more. In the same family, I also got a hungry caterpillar book that is is also one of his favorites.

Shop books for babies and toddlers

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BabyChristina FerrariFebruary 20, 2021baby, book, crinkle book, nursery, books for babies, books for toddlersComment