If your voice is low, gentle, soothing, and full of joy and love, the baby will feel it. The physical contact you give to your child during these precious moments is what all babies need. Simply talking to your baby about what you are doing and playing little games, like moving an object slowly and letting the baby s eyes follow are ways you can begin to help your child develop reading skills for later in life. There is much evidence that children who are read to in their early years perform better in school. Books can answer children s questions about the world around them.
Books can build vocabularies to supplement what children learn during everyday conversation.
Books can be educational tools that form a foundation for understanding daily living. A story can introduce a value or idea or it can help your children understand themselves and others. Besides being educational, reading good books together can strengthen the relationship between you and your child. There is something special about your child snuggling up to you as you immerse yourself in reading a story. As you give life to the characters in the pictures, you take your child on a special journey for which you will never know the real impact.