Storytime with Babies

Reading is an essential skill, and a love of reading will stay with your child for life!

Story time with your baby will help them learn to listen and speak, and, later, to write. It will also help them start to learn how books work.

• To get started with a very young baby, sit with them close to you, so both of you are comfortable and your baby can see your face and the pages of the book.
• Begin with the front cover and read the title of the book. Talk about what you see on the cover. Talk about or read each page with your baby. If your baby makes sounds as you read, copy them and then add extra words as you like.
• Point to pictures on each page, allowing your baby enough time to follow your finger and look at the pictures.
• It’s okay if your baby doesn’t want to finish a book – just a few pages is great, especially at first.
• Don’t be afraid to get creative and try different voices for characters.
• Be ready to read a favourite book more than once! Babies love to hear the same words, rhymes and stories over and over again.
• Build up your collection of books. Look for babies’ and children’s books in book exchanges, community libraries, op shops, and of course bookshops!

Include story time in your daily routine. This is a fantastic way to bring familiarity and repetition into reading and your baby will love it. It might be before or after a nap, before bed, or after eating…whenever it suits your family.

Story time will create peace and calm in your baby’s life, and develop their love of reading!