We LOVE babies at the Library! Read to your Baby!
We have many resources available for parents to help their babies grow into a love of books and reading.
Stork Storytime - encourages expecting families to develop a reading routine before baby (and chaos) arrive, enabling parents to become more confident as their child’s first teacher. Adults become more comfortable reading out loud and children can practice their literacy skills. It’s a wonderful bonding experience and sets the tone and expectation that reading is important and valued at home. This program is also a great segue to the 1000 Books before Kindergarten program.
Talking is Teaching- fun tips and resources grounded in the best science, to help you talk, read, and sing with your child every day.
Zero to Three- Learn about early development, early learning, parenting, resources, and services.
Jbrary on Youtube- learn songs, fingerplays, and rhymes to play with your baby.
Five Easy Steps for Sharing Books with Your Baby
- Pick the best time- A time when you and your baby are in a good mood.
- Show Baby the book- Point to the pictures and talk naturally and cheerfully.
- Talk and have fun- Remember to touch and love your baby the whole time.
- Watch what Baby does- Let your baby play with the book if he wants to and stop for now if he gets upset.
- Share a book with your baby everyday- Even just a few minutes a day is important.
-from the Public Library Association and the Association for Library Service to Children’s Joint Project, “Every Child Ready to Read”
Ten good reasons to read to babies
Baby associates your voice with warmth, comfort, and security.
Reading has a calming effect on a restless baby.
Baby is entertained by nursery rhymes and songs.
Holding the baby while reading to him/her creates a close,loving bond between parent and baby.
Baby makes an association between reading and being held.
The pleasure of being held transfers to the desire to be read to.
Baby will learn to listen and will grow up ready to read.
Baby will begin imitating sounds and words.
Baby must hear English (or French or whatever) in order to learn that language.
It’s fun to read to a baby!
From Babies need books: sharing the joy of books with children from birth to six by Dorothy Butler.