How to Get Your Baby to Love Reading

One of my favorite things about my baby shower was that each guest brought a book for baby. We started that first year with so many great books to explore. I received the question from many mom friends, “how did you get your baby to love reading?”

Well, part of it is I am blessed with a little one who finds pictures and books fascinating, but there were a few things we did along the way to encourage this fascination at a young age.

With my background being in Early Childhood Education I knew reading would be a big part of my little’s life due to the many benefits it has on their development. Therefore, from the start reading was part of our routine at a very young age. From about 3 months old we had incorporated books before nap times. Have an early exposure to the wonders of books is so beneficial to their love of books.

We picked the right books for his age. Many of the books had some great pictures, but way too many words. These were not developmentally appropriate. We started with simple touch-and-feel books that were a full sensory experience for him. Some of his favorites were, ‘Touch and Feel Farm,’ ‘That’s Not My Chick,’ and the ‘Never Touch A…’ series.

From the start, books were always accessible for him. When we did tummy time we would set a book or two up to look at. Once he was more mobile, the books were on the lowest shelf for him to explore. He found enjoyment for many minutes just manipulating the books in any way he was capable of.

Limited screen time. Books were the preferred method of distracting him from his current grumpiness. Once he was able to look at them on his own, I would pull a few newer ones out for him to explore, giving me a few minutes to complete a task.

Now that he is about 15 months old he will sit and listen to book after book before bedtime. He would sit their for over 30 minutes listening to books and I am to the point where I have to establish when that part of our bedtime routine is over to be able to get some sleep. On long car trips he will spend lots of time turning the pages of books and making sounds as he goes.

As I said before, I am blessed with an eager book lover. However, I do believe in my years of experience that early exposure to books and having ones appropriate for their age it vital to helping your child discover the wonder of books. I hope some of these tips help you and your little one enjoy books together!

Favorite Books

If you make an awful pig sound like me, this is the book for you! It has touch and feel features and also buttons to hear a recorded animal.
Great high contrast for little eyes. The book is very durable and so many fun animals to learn about.
There are many in this series. These are perfect car books, as I am not worried about him ripping it while I am driving.
This one is always fun. Needs a little guidance to prevent the pop-up pages from being destroyed.
There are several varieties in this series. My baby prefers these books over the other series from Never Touch the…

One response to “How to Get Your Baby to Love Reading”

  1. […] After lunch we head to his room for some book time. He is a huge book lover. You can check out this post with some tips to get your little to love reading too. After we have read a few we prepare to […]