Reading to your baby can start their lifelong journey of creativity, great communication, and stronger family bonds, among many other proven benefits. Babies love their parents' voices, especially their mothers, and can hear them from as early as 15 weeks of pregnancy. Story time comforts and calms them and also provides you with a golden opportunity to invest in their future education. Reading to newborns from as early as two weeks has been shown to improve language scores among nine-month-olds.

Other studies show that regularly reading to very premature babies, who miss out on weeks of language exposure in the intrauterine environment, enhances brain plasticity and supports normal development while in neonatal intensive care, leaving them with higher language and cognitive scores by the age of two.

Research conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics showed a direct correlation between reading to young children from infancy and a greater aptitude for academic learning, and even an increased likelihood of graduating from secondary education. In short, reading has multiple short, medium and long-term benefits for babies. It is well worth your time and energy.

Can my baby understand what I’m reading?

A baby’s comprehension is still in very early development, but that does not mean you’re wasting your time by reading aloud and clearly to them. It may be more useful to consider the books as literary nutrition, laying the groundwork for words they will understand and use to communicate with you later. Those coos and babbles your baby greets you with now will soon become proper verbal communication. All of the words they’ll recognise and use when they are readers will be words they’ve heard from those around them first, especially their parents and siblings. They need all the words we can give them to help label objects that surround them and describe how they are feeling.

I talk to my baby all the time! Why do I need to read to teach them new words?

Reading requires focus and attention from you towards your child. In the course of everyday life, you will often use language that’s meant to keep your child organised or safe, e.g., “We’re doing this now” or “don’t do that,” but reading to them opens up new worlds that you can explore together. Your tone of voice and expression may be unique to the story if you throw yourself into it, which experts recommend as it promotes cognitive stimulation and memory while encouraging your parent-child bond.

What kind of books should I read for my baby?

Books with pictures that engage them! Alliteration and rhyming books help them to identify and recognise sounds. Research shows that books with character names capture babies attention more than others – Babar the Elephant, Garfield the Cat, etc.

Bring appropriate facial expressions and voices to characters to help your baby understand them. Some babies respond well to a particular book and want to hear it over and over. Reading books multiple times is OK. If a child is interested in a book, it likely means they’re still learning from it. They’re not trying to annoy you. That said, there’s no reason you shouldn’t introduce your baby to children’s books you love. If you’re having fun, your child is more likely to stay engaged.

How can I get started with reading to my baby?

You may find it helpful to keep a basket of books or small bookcase wherever in the house you tend to “land” with your baby, whether that’s a favourite chair or a spot in the garden or playroom. It can also help to give or ask for books as gifts so they come to associate new books with celebration and excitement. You could also check out your local library’s bulletin boards for book or storytelling time devoted specifically to babies.

In the immediate postpartum period, if you’re a book lover yourself, you may be excited to share something that brings joy to you with your newborn when they’re not doing much beyond eating, crying, and sleeping. Reading can form part of their first sleep routine, helping to signal to them that it’s time to relax and sleep. It can be a great way for an older child who cannot feed, bathe, or change them to feel they are participating in caregiving.

However, not everyone is a bedtime reader. If you feel more energised about storytelling in the morning or after lunch, you’re still boosting your baby’s literacy. The research on this subject relates to consistent daily reading rather than the time of day.

For more support in giving your baby a head start in life, take Unii's Baby Development Journey with consultant paediatrician Dr. Su Laurent.

What are the benefits of reading to babies?

Give your child a long-lasting literacy boost from birth.