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It is never too early to start reading to your baby. In fact, reading to a newborn is essential for her development. Cuddling and reading with your child, gives her a feeling of warmth and safety while providing visual and auditory stimulation. It is that dedicated time when you and your newborn bond as you flip through pages of a book.
There are a variety of books you can start with which will hold your young one’s interest.
Black and white image books
They are a great starting point. New born babies can learn to focus on these high contrast images as you point each one out and say ‘This is a ball’ etc.
Tactile stimulation books
The books come with various textures that they can feel with their fingers. This is a wonderful sensory experience for the baby.
Peek-a-boo, Pop up or fold out books
These are also very interesting for children. They stare transfixed at this spectacle and will ask for them again and again.
The Research
Research shows that children who read at an early age develop improved language skills and increased interest in reading. It is really important to develop this love for reading early as with distractions like tablets, video games and mobiles, kids are developing shorter attention spans. Reading helps to counter that.
Newborns want to learn!
In fact, they are natures most curious learning machines. They want to discover this new world around them using all the five senses. Good reading skills also help improve their readiness for preschool.
Reading to your newborn is important as it is this dedicated time, hopefully without many distractions where both the parent and the baby are leafing through a book and sharing a bond together. This is the beginning where as a parent you can nurture a love for books in your child. So go ahead and curl up with a book and your baby!
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