EDITOR ’ S PICK
Here are some additional tips :
• Cuddling while you read helps your baby feel safe , warm , and connected to you .
• Read with expression , pitching your voice higher or lower where it ’ s appropriate or using different voices for different characters .
• Don ’ t worry about following the text exactly . Stop once in a while and ask questions or make comments on the pictures or text . (“ Where ’ s the kitty ? There he is ! What a cute black kitty .”) Your child might not be able to respond yet , but this lays the groundwork for doing so later on .
• Sing nursery rhymes , make funny animal sounds , or bounce your baby on your knee — anything that shows that reading is fun .
• Babies love — and learn from — repetition , so don ’ t be afraid of reading the same books over and over . When you do so , repeat the same emphasis each time as you would with a familiar song .
• As your baby gets older , encourage him or her to touch the book or hold sturdier vinyl , cloth , or board books . You don ’ t want to encourage chewing on books , but by putting them in his or her mouth , your baby is learning about them , finding out how books feel and taste — and discovering that they ’ re not edible !
33