Storytelling is fantastic for children’s development in many different ways. By reading a story to and with them, you are making a child aware of words, language, print and pictures.
By fostering a positive relationship with reading whilst they are babies, you are instilling a love of reading in them and an ability and enthusiasm to read independently as they grow older.
It’s great to read to your baby from the very start, you don’t have to wait until a certain time. Even though they won’t always understand what you are saying, it is still beneficial for them to hear and cuddle up with you and a book.
By 3-12 months, they may be becoming more aware of images, sounds and textures. Books with large, interesting images and soft touches would be best for them at this stage.
From 1-2 years, they will be more engaged and can help to choose the book. They may be able to identify images in the story so be sure to stop and ask them what’s what throughout the book.
2-3 year olds will be more familiar with what’s going on in the book, try to relate what they hear and see in the book to real life e.g. that bus looks just like the one you travel on to school. They will be able to handle the book and will also be able to choose their favourite book.
From the age of 3, children will have a good grasp on the story and will be able to answer questions on it and relate the story to real life.
Babies are only focused on the images, textures, sounds and colours within a book. With this in mind, here are our recommendations:
