Babies, Toddlers and Preschoolers

What are the benefits of sharing books with babies?

Reading out loud to your baby helps them to establish connections within their developing brain. Exposure to books and print in the first years of life makes it easier for children to learn to read. 

Reading together:

• Promotes bonding and communication
• Helps to develop listening and memory skill
• Exposes children to a wide variety of ideas, words and concepts
• Helps to build a lifelong love of reading

How do you share books with babies?

• Cuddle up with your infant
• Talk about the pictures and ask questions
• Allow your baby to explore the book by touching pages or textures
• Use expression and change tone to help bring the book to life

Look for books that . . . . 

• have a simple story with few words
• are sturdy, such as board books, or soft books that can be washed
• rhyme or are based on songs
• contain pictures of baby faces or familiar things
• have brightly coloured pictures
• are about concepts, such as colors or opposites, with a picture and a single word on each page