My Smart Baby

So I really want my baby to enjoy reading. We enjoy reading together. Baby S has many favorite books, and it makes my heart happy to see him actually enjoying being read to even though he is so young. I got the program, Your Baby Can Read, and am excited to try it. If nothing else, I think it will help build his vocabulary and expose him to the concept of reading. The other day, I was trying to get the nursery cleaned, so I put Baby S in the chair in the nursery where I could keep my eye on him. Then I gave him one of those touch cloth books. He was so adorable, so, of course, I ended up taking pictures instead of really cleaning. It amazed me because Baby S seems to already have a basic understanding of how books work. He was turning the pages on his own and really seemed to enjoy looking at the different pages. He even held the book up to show me what he was reading! I promise, none of these pictures are posed--it was just one of those moments that probably won't happen again, but was cute nonetheless! He'll be reading Harry Potter in no time! Just kidding! =)




P.S. Here's an article from Whattoexpect.com that I really liked!

How to Read to Baby: Three Ways to Raise an Avid Reader

It's never too early to be a bookworm. Learn how to encourage your baby to love storytime.

Even though your baby is probably more interested in chewing on his books than the words and pictures on their pages, he's learning the valuable lesson that books are fun — not to mention a great way to spend time with Mommy and Daddy. Here's how you can encourage reading, even at this early stage:

• Look for…Sturdy board books that he can gnaw on, pile up, crawl over, and otherwise manhandle. Extra points for audience participation: flaps to lift or textured patches to touch and feel. Your baby also might like splashing with a vinyl book in the bathtub. Illustrations or photos should be simple (no complicated, overwhelming backgrounds), bright, and familiar: household items, animals, things that go, and especially other babies and children (try photo albums too!). As for the words, they should be simple, too, and few in number, so you can keep the pages turning quickly. You needn't read them all, or stick to what's really on the page — make changes to suit your baby's interests and mood. In particular, rhymes are music to a baby's ears — many little ones love the rhythm and predictability.
• Try to…engage him with lots of commentary and an appealing tone. Add silly voices and animal sounds. Read often, slipping in stories whenever he's alert but calm. Try after lunch, before naps, during or after a bath, and at bedtime. Some babies even like to listen to a story during meals.
• Show him…that reading is fun by doing it yourself. Let him see you enjoying a book or magazine; you can even read aloud from whatever it is you're perusing. The words aren't as important as your enthusiasm for them. Any exposure to reading helps him learn how books work and builds vocabulary.