Oh, it’s never too early to start reading to your kids. You can start right when they are infants. In fact, many to-be-parents, deliberately read books so that the kid develops an interest in reading from the womb itself. Continue reading to understand the relationship between babies and brain development.
Reading to infants
If you are thinking of waiting until your child begins to speak, then we would say, that’s not the best thing. Reading to infants make them recognize the sound and rhythm and they become more prone to understand different languages phonetically. I.e. when they grow up, even if they aren’t aware of a language, there is a higher chance they would be able to decipher. And, of course, such kids are able to pick up new languages easily.
Reading tips according to age
Infants to 3 months old – Hold your baby close and read softly, like singing.
3 months to 1 year old – Read picture books, as, by this time, the child begins to see colors, patterns, etc.
1-2 years old – Read involving your kid too. For example, where is the monkey?
2-3 years old – Read repeated books and longer stories.
3 years old and up – Now, your kid is familiar with books. Let him turn pages, and read with details other than given in the book.
Can I start reading to my 4 years old?
As we said, it’s never too early to start reading to kids, it is never too late either. Reading is a wonderful habit to acquire. If you find, your child is running away from books, you can start with reading bedtime stories.
Read more about the essence of reading bedtime stories to your kids.
Conclusion
Do not worry much about interests, pick casual and all types of books in the beginning. Children inherit a part of their likes and dislike from parents. And a part they develop from the environment they grow. Remember, at this time, reading books to your kid is important. No doubt, babies and brain development is directly influenced by the habits they pick from their early childhood. Here’s best picks in children’s books category.