We know that it’s important to engage with and stimulate the minds of toddlers and young children. But did you know that it’s also important to inspire the minds of the tiniest of babies, too?
In recent years, parents have begun to explore different forms of stimulation for baby out with the traditional rattle and coloured building blocks. For example, some parents have started to play classical music during pregnancy to relax and uplift mom, but also as an upbeat stimulus for baby. In fact, music heard in early age has been shown to increase some fields of child development and can even improve reading comprehension and the child’s ability to learn a language later in life.
It’s also helpful to know that reading to babies and letting them gaze at the imagery inside a picture book can offer similar benefits. Here’s how.
Reading Aloud Fosters Bonding
Hearing your voice nearby, words spoken in a soothing tone, and feeling your arms enveloping baby makes them feel safe, content and loved. The body releases oxytocin in response to human affection, and in turn, this hormonal release encourages the baby to seek out loving contact.
Reading can Help Improve Language Comprehension
Babies can acknowledge and recognize their parents’ voices at birth. They’ll even begin to distinguish some words from others. Reading to young children allows you to add a broader range of lesser-heard words to the baby’s daily environment. Such phonological awareness can show children how letters form to make words, which can make it easier for them to write and read later.
Reading can Boost Vocabulary

In a study titled, “When Children Are Not Read to at Home: The Million Word Gap,” researchers found that “Parents who read one picture book with their children every day provide their children with exposure to an estimated 78,000 words each a year. Cumulatively, over the five years before kindergarten entry, we estimate that children from literacy-rich homes hear a cumulative 1.4 million more words during storybook reading than children who are never read to.”
Having a greater grasp of language can help to set babies up for success later in life — in school, relationships, work and beyond.
Involve Books at a Young Age
If a loved one, friend, neighbour or co-worker is expecting, consider adding a book or two to their shower gift. If you’re expecting, why not add books to your registry? You can include books in a variety of ways:
- Seek out elevated gift basket companies that incorporate quality books, like Nutcracker Sweet Gift Baskets. Here, you can choose from a wide variety of luxury baby gift baskets that include a carefully selected assortment of practical and beautiful products for little ones, like clothing, accessories, and books from top-tier brands, with custom options available.
- Create a registry with a local bookstore.
- Add books to your gift registry.
- Ask for second-hand books that friends used with their children.
- Join baby-and-me reading groups at a local library or community center.
The Takeaway on Books and Newborns
Reading to young children offers a variety of benefits for babies and parents on both emotional and educational levels. If you’re expecting a new addition shortly, why not add a few books to the nursery shelves for those late-night feeds?
Also read: Encouraging a Growth Mindset in Youth Sports