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Caring for the Little Ones - Using Books with Infants and Toddlers

by Karen Miller
July/August 1998
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Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/caring-for-the-little-ones-using-books-with-infants-and-toddlers/5012274/

"Who doesn't use books with infants and toddlers?" you are asking. We have heard the message so many times that early exposure to books helps to create eager and skillful readers that we almost take it for granted that everybody knows this. Not so. There are still many parents, and child care providers as well, who realize the benefit of using books with preschoolers but see it as a waste of time to read to babies. It might be useful to review with parents in your conversations and newsletters the benefits of early exposure to books and some hints for making it a satisfying experience.

You can't separate the topic of reading from the topic of general language development. It goes hand in hand. Research shows that talking to infants is important in shaping the structure of their brains. Some parents feel silly talking to a baby who doesn't know words yet, but this prepares the brain to use language later. It's also an important part of developing a warm, reciprocal relationship. Reading books to infants is really one way of talking to them. You are focusing on the same thing, talking about the image on the page in front of you. ...

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