Different Ages , Different Stages Young babies may not know what the pictures in a book mean , but they can focus on them , especially faces , bright colors , and contrasting patterns . When you read or sing lullabies and nursery rhymes , you can entertain and soothe your infant . Between 4 and 6 months , your baby may begin to show more interest in books . He or she will grab and hold books , but will mouth , chew , and drop them as well . Choose sturdy vinyl or cloth books with bright colors and repetitive or rhyming text . Between 6 and 12 months , your child is beginning to understand that pictures represent objects , and most likely will develop preferences for certain pictures , pages , or even entire stories . Your baby will respond while you read , grabbing for the book and making sounds , and by 12 months will turn pages ( with some help from you ), pat or start to point to objects on a page , and repeat your sounds .
When and How to Read Here ’ s a great thing about reading aloud : It doesn ’ t take special skills or equipment , just you , your baby , and some books . Read aloud for a few minutes at a time , but do it often . Don ’ t worry about finishing entire books — focus on pages that you and your baby enjoy . Try to set aside time to read every day — perhaps before naptime and bedtime . In addition to the pleasure that cuddling your baby before bed gives both of you , you ’ ll also be making life easier by establishing a routine . This will help to calm your baby and set expectations about when it ’ s time to sleep . It ’ s also good to read at other points in the day . Choose times when your baby is dry , fed , and alert . Books also come in handy when you ’ re stuck waiting , so have some in the diaper bag to fill time sitting at the doctor ’ s office or standing in line at the grocery store .
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