It’s Never Too Early to Start Reading to Your Baby

Reading to your baby is the single best activity you can do to help build their future love of books and reading. First-time parents in Maine are surprised to receive a canvas tote filled with books when their child is born. For many, it is the last thing they expect to receive for their newborn, but it’s never too
early to start reading with your baby. The Raising Readers tote is a reminder to parents that the special time spent reading together helps babies learn to love books and strengthens the bond between parent and child. Healthcare providers across the state know this and urge parents to start reading with their babies from the very beginning. They reinforce this message with additional books given to Maine children at each well child visit through age five.

When parents talk, read, and sing with their babies and toddlers, connections are formed in their young brains. These connections build language, literacy, and social–emotional skills at an important time in a young child’s development. These activities strengthen the bond between parent and child.”

American Academy of Pediatrics

5 Tips to Create a Read Aloud Routine

1. Read every day.
   
2. 15 minutes of read aloud time is a good goal. Remember, it doesn’t have to be 15 minutes all at once, 5 minutes 3 times a day works, too.
3. Choose a quiet, comfortable place.
4. Turn off the TV and other electronics. Enjoy the time together!
5. Have fun while reading! Use different voices for story characters. Act out the story with facial expressions or use gestures.

Explore the links below for more tips on reading with your baby and to find books you and your newborn with enjoy reading together!

Additional Resources:
Why It is Never too Early to Read to Your Baby
How to Share Books with Your Newborn to 3 Month Old
10 Read Aloud Commandment by Mem Fox
Raising Readers Book Database: Find Books for Newborns