What Parents Need to Know About Babies, Books, and Development 

Books Boost Language Development 

The act of reading to a baby doesn't only help the child to learn more about books. This early literacy activity can improve the infant's developing language skills. 

Even though your baby may not have the ability to say actual words early on, at six months, they'll likely recognize basic sounds in the language you speak at home. As your baby develops, they'll follow a gradual progression of milestones. These include going from making simple sounds to babbling and eventually speaking in words and later in sentences. 

While infant and childhood language development happens naturally (from a biological basis of human development), it also requires help from adults or seasoned speakers. Everyday interactions with your baby help them to learn about language. 

But these aren't the only ways your infant will develop phonological (rules to combine sounds), syntactic (rules to combine units of language into sentences), or semantic (rules to combine units of language into words) awareness. Books can help your child to understand and use language as they grow. 

Books Boost Social Development 

Story time isn't a purely academic activity. Whether you read to your child or the daycare teacher does, books provide a way for your baby to get plenty of social interactions. 

The more time your baby spends with you (and other people who care for them), the more chances they get to develop socially. While everyday interactions do provide plenty of social time, book reading is a dedicated activity that allows the infant-adult pair to communicate on verbal and emotional levels. 

To fully maximize social development through book-based activities, the adult needs to read with and not only at the child. Simply saying the words may not do much to foster social skills. The addition of eye contact and vocalizations (voicing the characters or showing emotion through verbalization) can help to increase the social aspects of the activity. 

Books Boost Fine Motor Development 

Along with literacy, language, and social skills, books can help your infant to build foundational abilities in other areas - such as physical or fine motor development. 

Beyond adult-to-child read-along activities, you (or your infant's daycare teacher) can encourage development through book handling. Provided the book is baby-safe, your infant can explore and experiment with it. As your child holds the book, moves it, and flips through the pages, they can build fine skills such as hand-eye coordination. 

Books Boost Sensory Skill Development 

Your infant explores the world through their senses. While your baby shouldn't use their sense of taste to discover the wonder of books, they can use their sense of sight, hearing, and touch. 

To add to your infant's sensory reading experience, choose books with bright colors, bold illustrations, patterned pictures, or different textures. As your infant looks at the pictures, touches the pages, and listens to your (or their daycare teacher's) words, they'll build crucial sensory skills. 

Books Boost Reading Enjoyment 

Start your baby off on a lifelong love of reading with early experiences. Even though your baby may seem too young to read, they aren't. If your baby ignores your words, won't look at the pages, or tosses a book across the room, don't worry. This doesn't mean your child hates books and won't ever read. 

Some days your baby may seem interested in books, and other days they may ignore their favorite story. Continue to try reading activities. Ask your child's daycare teacher if they have tips to interest your baby in books or other expert advice. The more you or your child's teacher read to your infant, the more your child will expect and enjoy this type of activity. 

Is your infant ready to start daycare? Contact Riviera Daycare & Preschool for more information.