Your child's world will be forever expanded and enriched if you develop his imagination and curiosity through books. When you read a book to a young child, at any age, you enhance his visual, vocabulary and listening skills as well as develop an important foundation for your child's language development. Studies have shown that children who are read to early are more likely to be successful in school and in life. In fact, many school-age children who are good readers had parents who read, and read to them.

INFANTS

Hold your infant in your arms and read to him. Read the daily newspaper, your favorite novel, or even your shopping list. As he listens to your caring voice, he will begin to associate words with closeness. Although, at first, he will not understand the meaning of your words, researchers have found that babies can learn and remember the rhyme and inflections of the language spoken around them. His developing brain is learning how to process sounds and he needs a steady stream of stimuli.

When choosing books for a very young child, experts suggest simple, brightly illustrated books constructed of cloth or cardboard. To hold your child's attention, choose books with little text that illustrate familiar objects and actions. Your baby will learn the meaning of words by hearing them repeated many times. Therefore, read the same book over and over to develop his vocabulary and comprehension. At any age, children are more likely to pay attention and learn the meaning of words when the reader uses animated gestures and different voices. Read the words and point to the pictures in an expressive way with lots of ooh's and ahh's.

Around two to five months, your baby may enjoy books with rhyme and repetition. It is a good time to take advantage of his growing curiosity by playing games as you read. For example, run your finger up his arm when reading or reciting, "Hickory Dickory Dock, The Mouse Ran Up the Clock." At around nine months, encourage your child to point to the pictures of familiar objects that you name. Many children close to their first birthday enjoy books about animals, cars, trucks, and/or other children.

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