{"id":11603,"date":"2024-07-19T12:55:32","date_gmt":"2024-07-19T12:55:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ftf-stg.magnetry.com\/?post_type=first-things&#038;p=11603"},"modified":"2026-02-04T23:33:54","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T23:33:54","slug":"growing-a-reader-from-the-very-beginning","status":"publish","type":"first-things","link":"https:\/\/www.firstthingsfirst.org\/es\/first-things\/growing-a-reader-from-the-very-beginning\/","title":{"rendered":"First steps in reading: Tips for reading with baby"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/28uZFnX6uls?rel=0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Babies start learning language skills from the moment they are born. Hearing words helps their brains make important connections needed for reading. Reading with your baby also helps build a strong bond between you and your child, which is essential for their growth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Early literacy skills start before babies can talk and continue as they grow into toddlers and preschoolers. Research shows that the number of words children know at ages 3 and 4 is linked to their reading comprehension skills in third and fourth grade. Here are some tips and recommendations to give your little one a great start with reading.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>EARLY LITERACY<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The skills needed to be a good reader, like language and vocabulary, start developing from birth. But that doesn\u2019t happen automatically.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Learn more about early literacy<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 24px;\">How to read with baby<\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><b>Make the time to read daily<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"color: #509e2f;\">:<\/span> Reading with your baby is a bonding and learning experience. Just 15 minutes a day, either all at once or spread out, can greatly benefit your baby\u2019s brain.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Sit baby on your lap: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is said that children become readers while sitting in their parents\u2019 laps. This closeness encourages bonding and ensures your baby can hear you and clearly see the book and your facial expressions.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Choose stimulating books:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Select short books with bright, bold colors, simple images, rhyming words and various textures. Babies learn through their senses, so let them touch and explore the book. Books with high-contrast, black-and-white images are great for newborns. A quick search of \u201chigh-contrast baby books\u201d will give you many options.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Be animated as you read: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Babies love the sound of your voice. Read enthusiastically and use different voices and volumes for different characters when appropriate. Point to pictures on the pages so baby can begin to associate words with the images.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Make it a conversation: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even if babies can\u2019t talk yet, their coos and eye contact are forms of communication. Pause while reading to give your baby a chance to respond. We call this \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.firstthingsfirst.org\/first-things\/baby-lets-talk-serve-and-return\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">serve and return<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,\u201d which helps build strong and healthy brain connections.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 24px;\">Build a diverse at-home library<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Babies enjoy cloth, vinyl and board books with simple stories and familiar pictures. Repeatedly reading the same books helps them to engage with the story more and more as they grow. Here are some resources for building your home library:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/makewayforbooks.org\/our-programs\/\">Make Way For Books<\/a>: <\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This First Things First-funded program provides access to quality children\u2019s books for young children and their families in Southern Arizona.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/imaginationlibrary.com\/usa\/\">Dolly Parton\u2019s Imagination Library<\/a>:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This free program mails you one high-quality, age-appropriate book per month. It is available in certain Arizona ZIP codes, and you can <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/imaginationlibrary.com\/check-availability\/?#selectedCountry=US\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">check your eligibility<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> online.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/reachoutandread.org\/what-we-do\/\">Reach Out and Read<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>: <\/strong><\/span><\/span>This First Things First-funded nonprofit integrates books into pediatric care to promote early literacy and healthy child development. At routine checkups, children receive age-appropriate books and parents get guidance on the importance of reading aloud. Click here to <a href=\"https:\/\/reachoutandread.org\/find-a-site\/\">find a site<\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 24px;\">Borrow from a local resource<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alternatively, you can visit your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/azlibrary.gov\/library-directory\">local, public library<\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.frnaz.org\/find-a-resource-center\/\">family resource center<\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to gain access to books for your baby. There are several benefits to utilizing these resources, including:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><b>Cost savings:<\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Borrowing from a library is free!<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><b>Encourages bonding: <\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Visiting the library and family resource centers regularly can become a fun and educational outing for families, creating an early love of reading and learning.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><b>Exposure to new books:<\/b><\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Libraries frequently update their collections, giving access to new releases and diverse books you might not have at home.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><b>Social interaction: <\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Libraries and family resource centers provide opportunities for children and parents to interact with others in their community.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><b>Expert recommendations: <\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Librarians can provide personalized book recommendations and help find books that match your child\u2019s interests and reading level.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><b>Community Resources<\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span> Most libraries and family resource centers provide additional resources and events such as storytimes, literacy programs and educational workshops for all ages.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additional resources to help you read to your child are available through <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.readonarizona.org\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read On Arizona<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a First Things First partner that supports early literacy for children from birth to 8 years old.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Unite for Literacy &#8211; Free Digital Books<\/p>\n<p>A free online resource to help build home libraries for children and support families in developing a daily habit of reading, both of which are critical factors in growing lifelong readers. The digital books provide audio narrations in more than 40 languages spoken by native speakers, including Indigenous and endangered languages.<\/p>\n<p>Check it out<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reading with your baby is a great way to help them build language skills and form a close bond with you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":70,"featured_media":11606,"template":"","tags":[68,76],"class_list":["post-11603","first-things","type-first-things","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-infants","tag-language-literacy"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>First steps in reading: Tips for reading with baby - First Things First<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Babies develop language skills from the day they are born. 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