Books for Babies and the N/IICU Baby Book Club begin the journey to literacy soon after birth, Reach Out and Read continues the effort through the CHOP Care Network primary care offices, and PolicyLab strengthens the evidence supporting early literacy interventions through research and uses that evidence to advocate for state and federal investments in child literacy programs.

When should you begin reading to your child?

It is never too soon to begin reading to your child — and it’s never too late to start, either.

There are many benefits of reading aloud to children, so don’t wait for “the right time.” It’s always a good time to grab a book and settle in with your child.

Benefits of reading to your child

Eighty percent of a child’s brain is formed by age 3, so the time you spend interacting with and nurturing your child while reading in their early years will pay off for a lifetime.

Language-based benefits:

• Better recognition of sounds, which leads to improved receptive and expressive language
• Better recognition of letters
• Knowledge of a wider range of vocabulary
• Increased listening skills
• Introduces them to things like numbers, letters, colors and shapes, which leads to school readiness
• More likely to read at grade level by third grade
• A positive association with reading that endures throughout their lives

Socialization- and emotional-related benefits:

• Earlier recognition of parents’ voices, which is soothing
• Strengthens parent-child relationships at a critical time in child development
• Helps to create routines, by reading at bedtime, for example
• Holding a child close while reading can help them manage moments of anxiety
• Increases curiosity, imagination and memory
• Enhances understanding of the world by learning of different places and times

Making the Most of Reading Time

Here are tips to help you make the most of reading time with your baby.

• Cuddle with your baby while you're reading — it helps them feel safe and promotes bonding.
• Use an expressive voice when appropriate or use a different voice for different characters.
• Stop and make comments about the pictures or words and point out things to your baby.
• Set up a special reading spot — like a rocking chair or corner of the couch — with books nearby.
• Turn off the TV and silence your phone during reading time.
• Let your baby’s interests guide you, and remember that it’s OK to read their favorite book over and over.
• Encourage your baby to touch the book, hold it — even gnaw the corner of a board book — and turn the pages as they get older.

Some tips for reading to toddlers:

• Make a habit of reading every day — before bedtime, after lunch or after naptime.
• Keep snuggling with your child; a special blankie or stuffed animal is invited to join the party.
• Emphasize rhythms and rhymes in stories. Give your toddler opportunities to repeat rhyming phrases.
• Point to pictures and name the object to build vocabulary, then ask your child to name the object, its color and shape.
• Pause during the story to ask your child questions (What do you think will happen next?) or for them to ask a question (Where did the buddy go?).
• Look for books that are about things that interest your toddler. For example, does your child like trucks, dinosaurs or animals?
• Give your child a chance to choose their own books.
• It’s OK to skip pages if your child is losing interest or the book is too long.
• Be prepared to read the same books again and again. Toddlers love repetition. Have them help “read” their favorites.

Tips for reading to preschoolers:

• Give objects in the pictures a name to help build your child's vocabulary. For example, "Look at that airplane! Those are the wings of the plane. Why do you think they are called wings?"
• Show your enthusiasm for reading. “Reading with you is one of the favorite times of my day!”
• Discuss what’s happening in the book (“I didn’t know that llamas had such long necks.”) and ask questions (“What do you think is behind the tree?”) to keep it interactive.
• Point out sentence formation, such as how we read from left to right and how words are separated by spaces.
• Don’t limit reading to books at home. Point out words in the grocery store and on signs in the park.

Keep reading aloud to kids once they learn to read

The National Education Association advocates that parents and caregivers continue to read to their children in kindergarten through third grade. Here are some of NEA’s suggestions:

• Keep reading to your child even when they can read. Focus on books that are too difficult or long for them to read alone along with family favorites.
• Read chapter books and talk about what is happening in the story. Encourage your child to make predictions about what will happen next. Have your child recap the chapter(s) you read yesterday.
• Ask your child about the kinds of stories they like (adventure stories, mysteries, science fiction, animal stories or stories about other children?) and why they like those types.
• Ask your child about their favorite authors and help them find additional books by those authors.
• Take turns reading a story with your child. Don’t interrupt to correct mistakes that do not change the meaning; help them sound out words if they ask.
• Talk about the meaning of new words and ideas introduced in books. Help your child think of other examples of those new ideas.
• Talk with your child about stories using the notions of the beginning, middle, and end of the story to organize thinking and discussion.
• Ask your child to tell why a character might have taken a specific action. Ask for information from the story to support the answer.
• Have fun! When your child sees you enjoying reading, it encourages them to see the value and fun in reading, too.
• If you have several children, encourage the older ones to read to the little ones, building a family tradition.

Child Literacy Resources

Nearly two-thirds of Philadelphia children are not reading at grade level, and several programs are actively working to reverse that trend. They offer resources that families can use to help their own children.

In addition to these programs, your local library is a great way to share all sorts of age-appropriate books with your child — and it’s free! Many libraries also have story times for children, which can be a wonderful outing for kids and parents alike.

Click here for local Child Literacy Resources

• Read By 4th is a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring Philadelphia children are reading at grade level by the time they begin fourth grade, when they need to make the leap from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.”
• Reading Promise gives practice tips for parents to make the most out of reading time.
• Conquering Kindergarten offers tips for families, including custom toolkit and a reading list, as they prepare their children for kindergarten.
• CHOP’s book list collates kids' books that address specific medical topics in a kid-friendly way to help children understand their condition.