Children can enjoy books at any age. Your little one won’t be reading themselves yet, but they will still enjoy the sounds, stories and games that come with books. Enjoying them together will help your child develop a life-long love of reading.
Using sounds is a great way to get your child excited about story time. Next time you’re in the library, see if you can find a book about animals or vehicles. Or, you could make up your own story!
When you read about an animal, make the noise the animal makes. Dogs 'bark’ and tigers ‘rooooaaar’. Or if you're reading a book about vehicles, make a 'vroooming' car sound or a 'nee-nah' siren. Praise your child if they try to join in.
If you’re making up your own story, keep it simple. Try starting with: “On our walk today, we met a hissing snake.” Make the noise of the snake. Then do it again with a different animal. How many can you think of? Where did you go on your walk? The jungle? The seaside? Think of details that can bring the story to life.
Encouraging your baby to make these kinds of noises when they play with toys is a great way to develop their language too.
Good to know
Babies learn through repetition because it gives them many chances to work things out. It also helps them feel secure.
