You see it all over Pinterest… Read to your baby. It’s never too early to read with your baby. But what does that mean? How do I read to my baby that can’t even hold her head up yet?

It looks different at different ages. As your baby grows, you will adapt and change what you do to increase engagement and build stamina. No matter which stage, reading to your baby is a valuable investment in your child’s brain development.

Let’s start with the 3 to 6-month age of development

Cognitive Skills at this age- Your baby likes to hear the sound of your voice reading to her. She is able to see bright-colored and high contrasted pictures.

Motor Skills at this age- Your baby is reaching for books. The soft fabric books with three-dimensional tags and attributes are great at this age.

Parent To-Do List for Reading at this age- Your baby needs head support and a comfortable place to lay while looking at the books and listening to you read. I enjoyed reading to my babies while they sat in their bouncer seats. It was convenient to sit beside them and show them the book. Read short books with bright-colored pictures and graphics. Keep it simple. Emphasize words and pictures that are frequently encountered in your daily lives. Don’t forget to incorporate sign language when reading. The sign for “book” is shown below.

Age of Development – 6 to 12 months

Cognitive Skills at this age-Your baby look at pictures,, prefers pictures of faces. He or she squeals vocalizes and signs words from the pictures.

Motor skills at this age- Your baby can reach out for the books. He or she may put the book in the mouth. Your baby is able to sit in your lap and maintain head control while you read to them. He or she may attempt to help you turn the pages of the books.

Parent – To-Do List for Reading at this age.- When reading to your little one at this age, hold the child in a comfortable position, discuss, name, and sign objects in the pictures and follow your baby’s interest when reading and looking at the pictures.

Age of Development- 12-18 months

Cognitive Skills at this age- Your baby will point to objects in the books with one finger. He or she will make sounds for pictures and manage to hold the book the right side up. Your little one will laugh and smile when listening to the text and rhyming words.

Motor skills at this age– Your baby will be able to sit independently in your lap or beside you. He or she can choose, retrieve and carry the book. When reading, your baby may attempt to turn several pages at one time.

Parent -To-Do List for Reading at this age- At this stage, parents should follow the child’s lead regarding which books to read. Parents should model and encourage the little one to track the text from left to right using their finger. Parents should ask questions requiring little one to point to objects through the books to check for understanding. Reading with little ones at this age can be challenging. Be patient with the short attention span. Incorporate sign language for words they know or are beginning to learn.

Age of Development – 18 – 24 months

Cognitive Skills at this age- At this age, the attention span lengthens and little ones are able to sit longer and be more attentive. Babies will often name familiar pictures. They may attempt to read the books themselves to their dolls or stuffed animals. Many times, children will want to read the same books over and over. They will enjoy reciting repetition parts that they know and love. This is awesome for their brain development.

Motor Skills at this age– At this age of development, little readers have better book handling skills. They are able to hold the book upright and turn the paper pages correctly. Begin teaching them the importance of taking care of the books.

Parent – To-Do List for Reading at this age– This age is a great time to begin implementing reading into a variety of daily routines. Particularly before naps and bedtime, reading a book is very comforting and relaxing. Having this routine will help your little one settle down and prepare for sleep. When reading, ask questions and allow time for the little one to answer questions or finish sentences. They love to feel like they are part of “reading” the book with you.

Age of Development- 24-36 Months

Cognitive Skills at this age– Toddlers at this age are able to listen to longer stories. They will be able to retell short stories or part of stories. They begin to understand what text represents and how one reads from left to right.

Motor Skills at this age– At this age, toddlers have the fine motor skills to manipulate the pages and go back and forth to find their favorite part of the book.

Parent To-Do-List for Reading at this age– During this stage of parenting, use books as part of daily routines such and preparing for nap time and bedtime. Be willing to read the same story or book over and over. Continue to ask questions while reading to check for understanding.

Age of Development- 36 months and up

Cognitive Skills at this age– At this age, toddlers enjoy reciting short stories or pretending to “read” the book themselves. They understand that the text represents spoken words. They may even start to identify letters of the alphabet, particularly the letters in their name.

Motor Skills at this age- Toddlers at this age have competent book handling skills. They handle the pages appropriately without tearing the pages.

Parent To-Do-List for Reading at this age– At this age, parents should let their little one “read” the book themselves by retelling the familiar stories you have read over and over. It is also important to recognize and celebrate the attempts to read by your little one. It is important for children to enjoy books and see themselves as readers before they are ever reading independently.

To Conclude…

Reading with your little one on a regular basis creates a foundation for learning to read. Children gain cognitive and fine motor skills that strongly influence their ability to learn to read when entering school. Reading also contributes to a language-rich environment that will help your little one grow his vocabulary and strengthen his auditory memory.

Be patient, follow your little one’s interest level and have fun. Reading with a little one sitting in your lap provides emotional connections and feelings of contentment for your toddler and YOU! Before long, they will be too big to sit in your lap and enjoy a book with you. Invest in these early years… The time is now!

What challenges do you face when reading to your baby or toddler?

To learn more about growing your baby’s brain, download my free guide, Infant Brain Development Tips.