Encouraging your child to enjoy reading is one of the most important things you can do as a parent. The best way to build this is to read to them. Doing so will increase their vocabulary, their cognitive skills, their listening skills and their imagination. Kids whose parents read to them daily have better language skills and are more prepared for kindergarten and beyond.Added bonus: Reading with your child is a really great way to bond with your baby. Babies like to be held, they like to hear your voice and the different sounds you make when you tell a story.
When should you start?As soon as you can! Babies even a couple of weeks old are learning. They are developing language skills right out of the womb.
So, set aside 30 minutes of reading time daily!
I recently spoke at the annual fundraiser for a non-profit organization close to my heart—BookSpring in Austin. They provide reading resources for the community and spread awareness of readings’ benefits by reaching out to those closest to the children. Why? In the words of their executive director Joan Wabschall, children become readers on the laps of their parents.
So while babies aren’t born readers, they are born learners. Encourage learning…start a reading ritual.
A few of our favorite authors for newborns to age one…
Ari Brown, MD
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