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Promoting Literacy: Birth to 1-Year-Old
From the moment your baby enters the world, she’s primed to start learning. The first year of your child’s life is the most formative period, during which she’ll build the foundation for the many lessons that lie ahead. Regularly sharing books with your baby is one of the best things you can do to prepare her for understanding, speaking, and reading her native language.
• 0-3 months
It’s never too early to start a reading routine. Although a newborn may not respond in noticeable ways, every sound, sight, and sensation is being catalogued for future use. During the first three months of your baby’s life, try to find a few minutes a day to read aloud to her. You can read to your baby anytime it’s convenient and comfortable, before putting her to bed, during the day while she’s alert and receptive, or even while she’s asleep. If you're comfortable doing so, you might also try to read while breastfeeding. This is the perfect age to reintroduce your baby to the stories and rhymes you or your spouse read to her during your pregnancy. You may be surprised to see her comforted by those familiar rhymes. If you’re just starting to read your baby, be reassured that at this stage the content of the book doesn’t matter as much to her as being close to you and hearing the sound of your voice, so feel free to choose stories that you enjoy.
Learn more about the best books for babies at EarlyMoments. Baby's First Book Club offers a great variety of soft padded cloth books perfectly designed to fit the needs of growing infants.
• 4-6 months
After three months, your baby will begin to understand her relationship to the world and those around her, reveling in the discovery that she is her own little person and that her actions have a real impact. For many parents, this is when the real fun begins!
As your little one begins smiling, cooing, and reaching out for things, choose books that have tactile elements and interesting textures, like cloth flaps and patches of different fabrics. Sound is important, too, with babies of this age responding to crackling, jingling, rattling, and music (all available in Baby's First Book Club). Select stories with lifelike pictures of familiar items rather than abstract illustrations.
• 6-9 months
When your baby begins sitting at 6-7 months—and possibly crawling soon after that—a whole new world opens up to her. As she explores her environment with her newfound mobile skills, she’ll put almost everything she finds into her mouth, especially when she begins teething. For this stage, it’s more important than ever to choose solid, sturdy books that will stand up to chewing and drooling such as those in Baby Einstein Playful Discoveries, Baby's First Disney, or Baby's First Book Club.
This is also the stage when your child starts to develop some dexterity and can begin to hold books on her own. When reading to your crawler or sitter, don't be afraid to get down on her level. Join her on the floor with a couple of big pillows, and prepare yourself for plenty of breaks as your baby heads off for impromptu explorations. Be patient—she’ll eventually return to pick up where you left off in the story.
• 9-12 months
As your baby enters the home stretch of her first year of life, she may be starting to experiment with standing, cruising along furniture, or perhaps even taking her first steps. (Children begin walking anytime between 9-18 months, so don’t be surprised if your baby still prefers crawling as her means of transportation.)
You might find it difficult to keep your little explorer sitting still long enough to share a story, but there will be points throughout the day when she tuckers out and needs some down time. Seize these opportunities—usually just prior to naptime or bedtime—and pull her into your lap with a book.
Babies of this age will begin to engage more with books, pointing out favorite pictures and turning pages. Even when it’s not story time, you may find your little one alone in a corner immersed in a book.
Birth to 1 year old Child Development Tips
• Visual Stimulation
Your baby’s eyesight isn’t fully developed until about four months of age, so start with books that use bold contrasts and black and white patterns. These will provide the most visual stimulation. Babies younger than three months also show a strong interest in books with pictures of other babies’ faces. Hold books approximately 8-12 inches from your baby’s face to ensure optimum viewing. To extend the life of your child's reading material, choose resilient books that are waterproof and tear-proof. Baby's First Book Club offers a wide variety of such items.
• Reading as a Routine
By four months, your baby’s memory will begin to improve, making this a perfect time to introduce reading as a habitual activity. As she begins to associate stories with bedtime or naptime, sharing a book will help her relax and prepare for a restful sleep. Whenever possible, hold your reading sessions in the same setting, such as a favorite rocking chair. Babies thrive on repetition, so stick to a few favorite books.
• Reading as a Speech Tool
As your baby approaches six months, she’ll begin to imitate basic speech sounds. You’ll notice that incoherent “baby babble” will gradually lead to more articulate vowel and consonant sounds. Your little one will begin to recognize familiar songs, phrases, and may even respond to her name. She may respond to certain phrases with gestures, such as waving when you say “bye bye” and lifting her arms in response to “up”. Reading to your little one is instrumental in helping her master her native language.
• Reading as Exploration
At nine months, your baby’s attention span and level of curiosity will noticeably increase. She’ll likely show a more active interest in the books you share, and may even fixate on a picture for up to one minute. Now that your baby is actively reaching out and grasping items, she’ll be delighted by books with flaps, musical buttons, and tethered objects. When your baby enters the teething stage, choose books with corners that are made from a chew-proof material--like those in Baby's First Book Club.
• Emotions & Opinions
As your little one approaches the one-year mark, she’ll begin to experience deeper emotions and develop stronger opinions, reacting more overtly to her surroundings. Where she might have been content with any book you chose a couple of months ago, she will likely have a few favorites she’ll want to hear again and again. Let your baby run the show in terms of what, where, and when you read. She’ll delight in exercising her newfound independence, and you’ll enjoy witnessing her enthusiasm for books! |