| Infants: (ages birth - 17 months)
Developmental characteristics:
- Recognizes and looks for familiar voices and sounds.
- Explores objects by touching, shaking, banging or mouthing.
- Babbles expresively as if talking.
- Imitates sounds, facial expressions and actions made by others.
Advice:
- It is never too early to begin reading to a child. Hearing the rhythm of stories, even as a newborn, is both soothing and important for developing literacy.
- If it is too difficult to hold both baby and book, then just tell stories that you know. Use hand motions, facial expressions and baby's toys to "illustrate" your story.
- Speak clearly and expressively. Even if they don't understand all the words of a story, you are conveying meaning through emotion.
- Repeat sections when the child shows interest.
- Ask questions about the story. (ex: What color is that house? What does a cow say?) Even if the child can not respond to you, they are learning when they are expected to respond.
- Babies will want to experience a book with all senses. Make sure to have at least one board book that they can touch, pull at or even stick in their mouth.
- Choose books with bright, clear pictures.
- Look for stories with rhyme and repetition.
- Stop when baby cues that they have had enough. Better short and sweet than a long experience that neither of you will want to repeat.
Themes
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