Teaching Baby to Read

Teaching baby to read can feel like a big challenge to most parents. How to know when to start and how much to read and what to read are some common questions often asked.

Reading to baby is sometimes not as easy as it seems for some parents as their baby, toddler or child may not show any interest in reading. Brainy Bambino has lots of tips to help parents feel at ease and help them to get started. Here are a few quick tips:

Getting it right in teaching baby to read:

As soon as a baby is born, parents start talking to their baby. If a baby is old enough to talk to, they're old enough to read to. Why? Because we're speaking the same language to them.
Although your baby may not understand what you're saying (in either sense) the aim is to get your baby used to hearing the rhythm of your voice.
Very few early fluent readers were "formally" taught to read. The most successful readers are ones whose parents read to them regularly as a baby and child.

Listening comprehension feeds reading comprehension - the better your baby becomes at listening to your voice and stories from books, the easier they will find reading and understanding the meaning in stories later in life.

Choose books and songs that stimulate your baby's language and listening. Some people complain that their baby or toddler is easily distracted while reading. Choosing carefully the types of books you read can help their level of interest.

For a list of recommended books for babys and toddlers, see the My Baby Can Read program.

Be mindful that it takes a lot of time and patience for your baby to learn to focus and listen, it doesn't always happen easily. Don't give up after a week of little interest, it takes time to develop the art of listening.

Some common mistakes in teaching baby to read:

One of the biggest mistakes people make when reading to infants is that they talk or move through the pages too quickly. As a teacher, I always took my time in reading, pausing to answer questions.
An infant cannot absorb all of your words and illustrations as quickly as you, so be careful to allow enough time for immersion.
If your infant is talking, don't be put off by questions they ask throughout the story, worrying that it may stall or wreck the story. Nurture curiosity by answering questions as they arise and discuss books. It makes the books all the more interesting.
Make sure you read when you're relaxed and have enough time to complete the book. Having to stop part way through can be frustrating for an infant and hinder their interest.
Avoid reading books and content that you don't enjoy yourself. Your dislike may show in your reading (as you know, babies and children are very perceptive).
Avoid quizzing your baby or child too much about the content you've read. Have interactive discussions instead, talk about the feelings involved and why things happened.