Introducing your baby to reading: 0–12 months

It may surprise you to learn that it’s never too early to introduce your child to books. Even during infancy, looking at books benefits your little one’s development.

• If your child is between the ages of 1 and 3, check out our Reading to your child: 1–3 years fact sheet.
• If your child is over the age of 3, read our fact sheet on Reading to your child: 3–5 years.

When should you start reading to your child?

You can start reading books to your baby from their very first weeks of life. It’s never too early to start reading them stories.

When you read to your little one, they get to snuggle up with you and hear your voice. This helps them build a strong attachment bond with you.

Moreover, it helps develop their language skills, especially when you name and point to illustrations. Little by little, your child will learn the meaning of the words you say.

Books are also interesting for babies because they can explore them with all of their senses. In their first few months, your baby will mostly want to chew on, throw, and hit their books. This is perfectly normal!

Plus, books have illustrations designed to spark your little one’s curiosity. Of course, their attention span is limited. By around age 1, your baby will want to open and close the book themself, and they’ll have a slightly longer attention span. They’ll also start to turn the pages.

To learn more about how reading benefits your child, check out our fact sheet (in French) on the importance of reading.

How to read to your baby

You are the best person to get your child interested in books. Here are a few things you can do to make books fun and appealing to your baby.

• Let your baby explore books in their own way (touching them, chewing them, throwing them), and let them open books, close them, and turn the pages in whatever order they want.
• Pay attention to the illustrations your baby is drawn to and focus on those images in particular. Point to and name what you see, or ask your baby to show you specific things.
• Always use the same words to describe the same images to help your child learn. In baby books, the same words often come up more than once.
• Point to an animal or a means of transportation on the page and make the sound it makes. When your baby is 9 to 10 months old, try mimicking the sound of an animal or means of transportation and then helping your child figure out what makes that noise on the page. You can also imitate the noises your baby makes during story time to entertain them and encourage them to practise talking.
• Be expressive when reading books with your child. For example, vary your intonation, do voices, and add hand gestures. This will get your baby interested in the book. You could even use a puppet to voice one of the characters.
• If you see something in real life that appears in your child’s book—or vice versa—point it out. This will help your little one associate words with their meaning. For instance, they’ll learn that the furry, four-legged animal in the neighbour’s yard is a dog. You can also show them objects depicted in the book, if you have them at home. If there’s an illustration of a horse eating an apple, for example, show your baby the horse from their farm play set and a real apple.
• Make books part of playtime. For example, you could hide books under cushions or blankets for your baby to find, or play peekaboo by hiding behind a book. When they’re a little older, your child can use books to make roads, towers, or a tent for their stuffed animals.
• Involve your child. For example, ask them to point to an object on the page or to pet the cat in the illustration. Keep in mind that children are more attentive when they’re active. You can also take breaks while reading to encourage your child to vocalize or babble. Pay attention to all their attempts to communicate (sounds, gestures, facial expressions).
• Don’t insist on finishing a book if your baby has lost interest. You don’t have to read the book cover to cover!

Choosing a book

Since babies first explore books with their five senses, it’s a good idea to let them touch, smell, and even chew on their books.

Here are a few great options for babies:

• Board books are designed to withstand being baby-handled.
• Cloth books are easy to handle and often have fun sensory elements, like mirrors and rattles.
• Touch-and-feel books have different materials and textures.
• Waterproof bath books are durable and great for the tub.

Choose colourful books with varied illustrations of things that your child may or may not recognize (e.g., babies, toys, animals).

Explore different types of books (storybooks, picture dictionaries, nursery rhymes, songs, lift-the-flap books, non-fiction books, wordless picture books, etc.) to find out what your child is interested in.

Ideas for making a homemade book

You can create a picture book for your baby using photos of familiar people or objects, like their dad, their grandmother, their educator, or the family dog. You can also cut out pictures from magazines (e.g., a baby, a cat, a car), paste them on a small piece of cardboard, and show them to your child while describing the images.

How to foster your child’s interest in reading

• Read books with your child frequently.
• Once they’re able, let your little one choose which book to read. It’s normal if they want to read the same book over and over. The repetition helps them feel secure, and they understand the story better with each new reading.
• Borrow books regularly from the library. This way, your child always has access to new books and can develop an interest in particular subjects or genres. Keep reading their favourite books to them as often as they want.
• During story time, make sure they can see your face or look at them often so they can see your facial expressions and lip movements. They’ll also benefit from watching you articulate words.
• Set up a little reading nook in the living room or in your child’s bedroom to get them excited about reading time. Once your little one is mobile, make sure they can get their books on their own.
• Read for enjoyment. You’ll show your child that books are fun. As their role model, you are the ideal person to instill them with a love of reading.
• Show your child that writing is found in all kinds of places, not just in books. For instance, you can show them flyers, restaurant menus, or a card you wrote for Grandma.

Things to keep in mind

• You can begin reading to your child even when they’re only a few weeks old.
• It’s normal for your baby to throw, hit, and chew on books.
• Look for board books, cloth books, touch-and-feel books, and bath books.

Scientific review: Agathe Tupula Kabola, speech therapist Research and copywriting:The Naître et grandir team Updated: July 2024

Photo : iStock.com/blackjake