"Experts are nearly unanimous in stating that babies should routinely experience books as soon as they experience talking, that is, during the first weeks and months of life."
-Butler D.
I've always been a lover of books, and wanted my children to enjoy them as much as possible. I've started stocking their shelves long before they could understand words. Recently I studied human development, specifically child development, and it has been so mind blowing to see all the ways that children are influenced and how it effects their development!
Most parents think "My baby isn't old enough for books" or ”When he learns to sit still we will start reading", but I'm here to tell you that reading right from birth is the BEST thing you can do for your child aside from loving them, because you're developing those early language skills as soon as they can hear your voice!
Reading is so much more than decoding words on a page. Children can begin "reading” as early as infancy when they have books in front of them & they examine the pictures to make sense & have meaning. When young children sit with a book on their lap they are indeed reading & developing key reading skills. You can encourage young children to "read" by:
Propping up books for babies during tummy time!
Providing a collection of board books that children can engage with independently at any age. (A.K.A. lean page turning skills! Great for hand/eye coordination!)
Including books in your child's collection that feature sensory details (like touchy-feely parts) so that children can develop positive physical connections with books!
Encouraging children to sit independently with books by themselves.
Making books available in areas like the car, the diaper bag, etc.
Reading together daily to connect with your child & build positive associations to books & reading.
And when they are a little older, to get them to think a little deeper about what they just read, I switch up the questions a little bit. Instead of asking: "Will you describe the character?" -or- "Why did this happen?" I ask things like: "Do you think the main character was a good person?" followed up by "What gave you that impression?" -or- "What events could have helped you predict that would happen?"
Helping kids remember the story in depth (and make predictions about what might happen next) can activate long-term memory storage, which in turn helps them to flex the ability to "focus", and encourages curiosity. It also keeps their brain attentive & engaged, helping them to work those "memory muscles".
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