5 Benefits of Reading to Babies and Little Kids

Your baby may be too young to sound out the letters of the alphabet or even grasp a book, but it’s never too soon to introduce them to the magic of reading. And adding storytime to your regular routine has a host of benefits for both you and your child.

Pediatrician Kimberly Churbock, MD, explains why reading to little ones is so important and how it can help set them up for success as they grow.

Reading to your child by age

There are no hard and fast rules about how to read to your child. What’s most important is that you do it, period. These general guidelines can help you choose the best books for your kiddo’s age and stage.

• Newborns can’t yet see colors or details, so look for high-contrast, black-and-white books. And you can read anything aloud to them, from the morning paper to your novel du jour. At this point, they benefit just from hearing your voice.
• Infants do well with chunky board books they can hold (and yes, chew). They like bright colors, big pictures and sensory features, like soft textures and crinkly materials. Rhyming and repetition help them learn words, rhythm and tone.
• Toddlers love interactive books with lift-the-flap elements and textures, and they still benefit from rhyming and repetition. As they get older, introduce books with more words to help their language development.
• School-aged kids can pick out their own books based on their interests and curiosity. Encourage them to experiment with different genres and even different types of books (like graphic novels) to keep them engaged.

5 major benefits of reading to kids

Reading is a skill that will serve your children well in school and in life. But hearing books read aloud has benefits long before they show up for their first day of kindergarten.

“Reading to babies and young children is so important,” Dr. Churbock says. “It helps them learn to talk and gives them tools to form social and emotional skills.”

Here’s a look at a few of the top benefits.

• Encourages language skills. Hearing words read aloud helps babies’ language skills bloom. Reading introduces them to a greater number of words and more complex language than they might otherwise hear in day-to-day conversation.
• Promotes parent/child bonding. Snuggling up to read a book together signals safety, love and emotional connection, Dr. Churbock points out. “Reading together offers one-on-one attention that helps strengthen your bond.”
• Encourages emotional learning. When you read to them, babies take note of your expression — that frown when a character is frustrated or smile at a happy ending. “They learn to mimic your expressions and sounds, which helps with early brain development,” Dr. Churbock explains.
• Helps establish a routine. Kids of all ages thrive on routine, and reading is a great addition to their daily schedule. Reading at bedtime, for example, can signal to baby that it’s time to slow down and get ready for sleep.
• Sets kids up for school success. Research shows that up to half of kids in the U.S. start kindergarten without the language skills they need to learn to read. Reading to babies and small children helps them develop those valuable skills.

Tips for reading to kids

Worried that reading is just one more thing you have to squeeze into your bleary-eyed day as a parent? This is one habit that doesn’t have to be time-consuming or complicated, Dr. Churbock says.

She shares some tips to make reading fun and effective.

Do it daily

Reading isn’t a one-and-done, and consistency is the key to reaping the benefits. So, try to read to your child for at least a few minutes each day, whether it’s one bedtime book session or shorter reading breaks throughout the day.

“As your child gets older, their attention span can start to handle longer stories,” Dr. Churbock notes.

Let them explore

Babies learn by exploring with all of their senses. So, let them discover books on their terms — even if that means they’re holding it upside-down or drooling all over it.

“They’ll eventually learn how to hold a book upright or move the pages in the right direction,” Dr. Churbock says. “But in the beginning, it’s all about enjoying that time and space together and seeing what your child finds interesting.”

Follow their lead

If your kid wants to turn back to look at the first page over and over again, just roll with it. Let them point out the pictures they like on the page or talk about what they see, even if it means you don’t get around to finishing the story.

“For kids, reading doesn’t have to look the same as it does for adults,” Dr. Churbock clarifies. “When they’re young, it’s just about books becoming a positive part of their life.”

Talk about it

You’re not locked into reading the words on the page. Engage with your little listener by pointing out pictures, asking questions or speculating about why those dogs are wearing hats and driving cars.

“Make animal noises, try out silly voices, let them feel the different textures or lift the flaps,” Dr. Churbock recommends. “All of it counts as reading with little ones.”

Don’t expect perfection

Once your child starts crawling and toddling, it can be challenging to get them to sit still. But even if they’re scooting around the room, they’ll still benefit from hearing you read aloud.

“It’s OK if they don’t sit quietly in your lap for story time,” Dr. Churbock says.

Nervous to take your child to the library for group storytime because of their inability to focus? Give it a shot. Librarians are used to kids not paying attention, and they know how to deal with the chaos.

Get ready to repeat yourself

Kids love to read the same books over and over (and over). That might test your patience, but the repetition serves a purpose.

“You might find that your child starts to recognize some of the rhyming words in their favorite books that are in heavy rotation,” Dr. Churbock says. “That’s a sign that they’re learning some of those important speech and language skills.”

So, go ahead and read about that hungry caterpillar for the millionth time this week. But to break up the monotony, you might try to strike a deal: At bedtime, you’ll read one book your kiddo chooses and a new one that you pick.

Keep it going

School-aged kids still benefit from reading with their parents, especially as they’re trying to learn to read on their own. Dr. Churbock offers these tips:

• Read to each other. Try reading back and forth, like by taking turns reading out loud to each other.
• Go to the library. “The library keeps reading materials fresh and exciting, with the additional benefit of being a community hub,” Dr. Churbock says.
• Lead by example. Let your kids see you reading for fun! Bonus points if it’s from a physical book, magazine or newspaper rather than an e-reader or phone.

Before you know it, your babies will be big kids who can read to themselves — and you might even find that you miss that caterpillar with the endless appetite.