Suggested Books For Your Child

Reading is a very good way to enjoy time with your child and help his or her development. Starting to read to your child when they are young will help make this a special time, which you can continue to enjoy as they grow.  Try to visit your local library and pick out new books every few weeks.

At six months of age your baby will enjoy looking at books with colorful pictures and listening to stories which have one to two words on a page.  Make reading fun by making changes in the tone of your voice and making the sounds of animals or other characters in the book; you can even make up your own story to go with the pictures. A story at bedtime is a nice way to spend quiet time at the end of a busy day.

Below are several reading suggestions for your child.

Birth to Two Years
At this age, a story should only last a few minutes, and then your baby will be ready to move on to a different type of play.  Look for books with colorful pictures of real babies and animals and not too many words on one page.  "Interactive" books can also be helpful--cloth or sturdy board books, books with rattles and bells inside, and "lift the flap"-type books.

Two to Four Years
As a toddler, your child will enjoy books with colorful pictures and stories which are slightly longer. By two or three years of age, he or she can pick out a book for story time.  Many children at this age may select the same book time after time. Let your child tell you stories about the pictures and ask him or her questions about the story.  Books can be used when he or she is beginning to learn about numbers, colors or the ABCs.

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