The Who, What, When, Where, and Why of Reading Aloud to Your Baby

Who: Mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, siblings, cousins—you name it! Everyone that reads to your baby will have their own style and will add to your baby’s experience.

What: There are lots of wonderful books to read to young children (see list below for some suggestions). Make sure they are appropriate for your baby’s age, interesting, and enjoyable.

When: Every day, especially when your baby is well fed and in a calm mood.

Where: Indoors, outdoors (especially in the summertime), or in any cozy spot. Make sure your baby can hear and see both you and the pages.

Why: Reading helps your baby to be able to recognize letters and their sounds, it grows their vocabulary, and teaches them new ideas. Reading is also a fun bonding activity for you and your baby to do together.

‍Our Suggestions for Infant Board Books:

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
My First Words Board Books by Dorling Kindersley
Baby Faces by Margaret Miller
Baby Animal Kisses by B. Saltzberg
Blue Hat Green Hat by Sandra Boynton
Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? Dr. Seuss’s Book of Wonderful Noises by Dr. Seuss
Peek-a-Who by N. Laden
Tomie’s Little Mother Goose by T. Depaola
The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle
Where is Baby’s Belly Button by Karen Katz

For more information on the importance of reading, visit Reach Out and Read

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