Babies and books

You can never begin too early to read to your baby. Not only is it a lovely quiet time activity to do together, by reading to him you'll be strengthening your bond with him and modelling to him one of the ways we communicate with each other.

Why should I read to my baby?

When you hold your baby and read a book to him, you are introducing him to a world of entertainment that will bring him joy and solace for the rest of his life. As a young child, he'll love spending special time curled up in your lap listening to your voice and looking at the pictures while you read, and as he grows older he'll love to take a more active role in the choosing and reading of books.

Children who have been read to from an early age, often develop the skills to speak, read and write easily. By reading books to your child, you will introduce him to some important skills:

• talking and understanding language
• problem solving
• imagination
• concentration
• creativity
• listening

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This article was written by Ella Walsh for Kidspot. Sources include SA Government's Parenting and Child Health.