“When should I start reading to my baby?”
Parents ask:
“When should I start reading to my baby? Any tips for getting into the habit of incorporating books into my baby’s daily routine?”
Lovevery expert answer:
It’s never too early to start reading to your baby. Even in the first few months, reading aloud is a powerful way to expose them to language. Hearing a variety of words primes your baby’s brain for later learning. Plus, they love the sound of your voice and the cozy interaction of storytime.
Here’s what experts want parents to know about reading to babies:
1. You can start reading when your baby is a newborn.
At first, your baby won’t be able to focus long, and that’s okay. Even if they aren’t focused on the page, listening to your voice while they snuggle with you is valuable. Start with short reading sessions sprinkled throughout the day.
2. Reading to your baby can support their visual development.
For newborns, begin with high-contrast books or images, like those in The Looker Play Kit. As their vision matures and they can see colors clearly, try board books with bright colors and realistic photos like “Talking.” All the books in the Lovevery Book Bundles include beautiful images and introduce vocabulary for things they’ll see in daily life—animals, plants, insects, and other babies 🙂
3. Keep reading sessions short, sweet, and frequent ❤️
Just a few minutes of reading to your baby here and there can easily add up to 10 or 20 minutes over the course of a day. Here are a few simple ways to make it happen:
- Place books throughout your home so you can easily reach one during free moments.
- Read a book before naptime or bedtime to help calm your baby.
- During tummy time, position a book in front of your baby so they can see the images.
- Read outside on a blanket or The Play Gym mat for a change of scenery.
The more often you read to your baby, the more they’ll associate books with comfort, peace, enjoyment, and care. This will encourage them to continue gravitating toward books as they get older.
Meet the Lovevery expert who answered this question:
Sami Carrick
Sami Carrick is a certified reading specialist, military wife, and mother of two. She created Sunny Seed Co to simplify research and help parents nurture the whole child during the most important years. She believes in the power of play, connection, and books.
Learn more about the research
Dunham, P. J., Dunham, F., & Curwin, A. (1993). Joint-attentional states and lexical acquisition at 18 months. Developmental Psychology, 29(5), 827–831.
Karrass, J., & Braungart-Rieker, J. M. (2005). Effects of shared parent–infant book reading on early language acquisition. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 26(2), 133-148
Sato, A., & Uchiyama, I. (2012). Shared book reading between mother and infant facilitates the frequency of joint attention. In Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society (Vol. 34, No. 34).
Tomasello, M., & Todd, J. (1983). Joint attention and lexical acquisition style. First Language, 4(12), 197-211.
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