Books provide an early opportunity to introduce new vocabulary and concepts to young children. Newborns won’t show much interest in books but will be happy to listen to the tone and intonations of your voice as you read aloud to them. During this early period, I would suggest reading what makes you happy. This may be romance novels or parenting books, and in fact this is a great time to read some wonderful parenting books. Infants up to about 4 months of age may also enjoy staring at black and white books or pictures as their eyesight develops, but after these early months most babies are attracted to bright primary colors. So if you wish to buy black and white baby books, just know that your baby will most likely outgrow them rapidly.
Once your infant is about 4 to 6 months of age, they are going to start showing interest in books. They will try to grab them and put them in their mouths. This is a great time to get them a set of baby safe books. I suggest only a few because they will mostly enjoy mouthing or shaking the books. They won’t be interested in the pictures or words right away, just the textures, sounds and feel of the books. You can try reading the books to them, but be prepared for them to grab the book and try to stuff it in their mouth. These are the books I would recommend for infants to play with from about 4 months up to about 18 months of age:
The next set of books are for babies that are 8 to 18 months old. This is when littles become mobile and start exploring. They will still be putting everything in their mouth, but now they will enjoy banging things on the floor, spilling toys all over the floor, pushing toys across the floor and tearing things apart. They will start showing interest in books’ pictures and words, but usually only for one to two pages at a time. You might find yourself reading the same two pages a dozen times in a day. I suggest books from the brand The Original Indestructibles. They are truly indestructible and nontoxic. I would recommend several of these books for your baby to explore and try to destroy, though you may pick other books from this brand based on personal preference, these are the ones I recommend:
Along with these books in the baby’s play area, I recommend for parents to have a collection of books to read to their baby that the baby does not have access to. This is a good way to teach early boundaries with some books being for baby and other books being just for parents. Pick one time during the day when your baby is relatively calm to read two books to them. This could be before their bath as part of their bedtime routine or first thing in the morning. Having this be part of the daily routine at an early age teaches the importance of books. If you want a child who loves reading and books, having books be a part of their daily life from a young age will help establish this love. Here are books to read to your 6 to18 month old baby. Young children love routine and repetition, so rereading the same books over and over is good for them.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher, The Tale of Tom Kitten, The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck
Reading books to your baby will help them develop a love for books and reading. It will teach them new vocabulary words and help them develop an understanding of how books work. Books can teach babies gently through repetition animal sounds, colors and other concepts in an age-appropriate manner that also encourages bonding between caregiver and child. Early exposure to books helps children develop language skills, pre-reading skills, vocabulary, fine motor skills and a desire to learn how to read. Once they are about 15 months or so, they will delight in turning the flaps inside some of these books. The simple language, primary colors and beautiful artwork will appeal to young children and be some of their favorite books. Reading to your baby, toddler, and child will be a favorite time for everyone.
Happy Reading!
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