Safe Alternatives for Baby and Child

I was a little disappointed when I was not able to attend a local workshop on the importance of reading to your baby. We all know the importance of reading to our babies, I’m sure. But what made this workshop so interesting to me was to hear some of the response from parents afterwards about what they had learned.

“I thought I was reading to my baby before, but now I am understand how to make a much better connection to my baby during our reading time together.”

“The experience of reading to my baby is so much richer now.”

They also all brought a book to exchange with another baby’s book, and one to donate to a charity. What a cool idea and a great way to recycle some of those books that you have read hundreds of times, and to take home something “new”!

So what was taught at this workshop? We had to find out, so I gave Rachel a call.

Rachel Paul did her undergrad in Elementary Education at the University of Maryland. She received her Masters in Language and Literacy, which she started at John Hopkins University, and finished up at California State University North Ridge. To top it all off, she is currently finishing her Reading Specialist Credentials, also at the Cal. State University North Ridge! She is also the mother of an 12 month old baby boy, and she was happy to share with us “the things to keep in mind when reading to your baby”.

• Books should have a simple story line with repetitive and familiar text.

• Books should have clear pictures with black lines and colorful illustrations.

• Talk to your baby while you are reading. “Where’s the duck? That’s right, that’s a yellow duck. It says, ‘quack, quack.” And, “What color is the horse? Yes, it is a blue horse, very good honey.” Or even, “You can read this book to Mommy!”

• Help your baby make connections to the book. If the story takes place at a park, talk about when you went to the park. “Mommy had so much fun at the park with Eli today. We went on the swings and the slide and Eli ran all around the park. What was your favorite part Eli?” Or something like, “Those are pretty green leaves. That slide is yellow, just like the slide at our park!”

• Encourage your child to make inferences from the illustrations. You can do this by reading stories that are open ended and they don’t necessarily tell you what is happening (Hug). Or ask your baby to “read” the pictures to figure out the story.

• Let your baby help you read the book. When your baby is babbling as you read, respond with something like, “Thank you for helping Mommy/Daddy read the story.” And when they “read” to you, “I love it when you read to me.”

• Let your baby guide story time. Talk about what they are pointing to and what they are finding interest in. Don’t get wrapped up in having to read the entire story. You can also let them explore the book by letting them turn the pages, and open and close the book.

• Anytime is a good time to read. Reading before bed is relaxing and a great time to read familiar books. Have books handy around the house, car, and diaper bag so you can read together throughout the day. Give toddlers soft books to read in their cribs.

• Give your baby choices. Have you tried bringing your baby to the library or bookstores and let them choose their own books? You may even find a “story time” for toddlers at your local library. You can also hold up two books, and let your baby choose. This is great for independent toddlers and good decision making skills for younger babies too!

Rachel also recommends these books:

click on book for ordering information.

For text to text connections:

Text to Self Connections

Predictable text

Non-fiction

Interactive / Singing

Books to read together

We hope that your experience of reading with your baby brings joy to you both. This is a great time to teach your baby to love reading! Make reading fun and enjoyable and be your baby’s reading role-model.

Thanks Rachel for sharing you expertise, the great tips and your reading recommendations.

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