You and Your Baby: Reading Together

Read to your baby today!

• Start reading right after your baby is born, or even before birth.

• Babies can hear during your second trimester of pregnancy and respond to voices around 26 weeks.

• Reading will give you and your baby special time together.

• Your baby loves to hear you read and recognizes your comforting voice from birth.

• Reading to your baby helps learning and development.

• Every member of the family can have their own reading time with baby, even brothers and sisters!

Reading as your baby grows…

Stage 1: Sleepy Babies

Reading to babies who are sleeping much of the time, including preterm infants in the isolette, or older infants who are resting and recovering:

• Most babies at this stage will respond positively to voices. If your baby seems stressed by hearing voices, it may be time to take a break. Not sure? Your nurse can help you decide.

• Even though your baby’s eyes are closed, it can still be comforting to hear your voice.

• You can read anything you want, a children’s book, your own book, or make up a story.

Stage 2: Awake Babies

Reading when baby is awake and looking around quietly:

• Hold you baby facing you while you read or come close to your baby’s face.

• Your baby will still like hearing your voice. Your baby will watch your mouth move as you talk and look at your eyes.

• Rhyme and repetition will help you change your voice in fun ways for your baby to hear.

• Read with a real book, instead of a screen.

• Your baby may start to look at the whole book, or pictures that are large and have contrast like black, white, and red.

• Make reading part of your baby’s naptime and bedtime routine.

Stage 3: Active Babies

Reading when baby is active, reaching and exploring with hands and eyes:

• Your baby will love to explore a real book, instead of a screen.

• Hold your baby and show him the book.  

• Help your baby pat the book and turn pages.

• Your baby will start to look more at pictures, and like colorful pictures and baby faces.

• Use books with thick pages, crinkly pages, or touchy-feely parts to explore.

• Books with a surprise like a picture behind a flap will also be fun.

• Read books with one sentence on each page, or just name the pictures.

• Some books can be for bedtime to let your baby know what is coming next.

• Don’t be surprised if your baby tries to eat the book, it’s all part of learning!

Reviewed July 2024 by Mary Margaret Sheehy, CCLS