When to Start Reading To Your Baby

Have you seen those infomercials on TV? You know, the ones that show some "breakthrough" methodology that can help teach your child to read at an incredibly early age? I forget exactly what age they mention, but they show all these kids (practically babies) who can read. We all want our children to be "ahead of the curve" but what really is an appropriate age to start reading to a baby? Is there an "appropriate" age?

Our 10 week old baby girl just started talking. Well...not really talking...but you know, making cute little noises while looking like she is mouthing words. It's really cute because she responds to people talking to her by "talking back" with her little noises. So when my mother in-law saw this happening, she immediately said, "You should start reading to your baby."

My first thought was, "She's only 10 weeks old. What could she possibly get out of reading?" But then I wondered...maybe reading to her isn't such a crazy idea. It certainly can't hurt. And of course, thoughts of those infomercials came rushing back.

There are some experts that say you can even read to newborns. They obviously won't understand what you're reading, and won't even know what the pictures mean. But they'll be able to focus on the images, which is an important step toward picture recognition. Keep in mind that infants have very short attention spans, perhaps just a couple of minutes. So it is recommended that readings be short.

A good tip is to set aside specific times during the day to read, like at nap time or perhaps bedtime. This not only makes these times enjoyable, but it can also help make life easier for the parents by establishing a routine for the child.

I have heard friends and family say that reading to your baby (even in the womb) can make your child a better learner later in life. I don't know if this is true or not. I'm not aware of any research that shows any evidence either way. As parents, we probably want this to be true...even hope this to be true. But as I said before, reading to our baby definitely can't hurt...so why not? And it can even be fun for both parent and child. So perhaps it is time to get out the old Dr. Seuss books!

What are your thoughts on reading to your baby? Please share your comments.