Reading aloud from birth: what to do at each age

How do I read to a newborn?

Birth to 6 months, what they can do: Listen to your voice; Look at bold, simple pictures. Books: Simple rhymes and bold pictures. How long: A few quiet minutes.

• Find a quiet, comfortable place and hold your baby on your lap.
• Read a few minutes as part of nap time or bedtime.
• Don't worry about finishing the book.

What does reading look like at 6 to 8 months?

6 to 8 months, what they can do: Pay attention to a book for a few minutes at a time. Books: Sturdy board books and soft fabric books with different textures. How long: A few minutes at a time.

• Let your baby hold and explore the book.
• Name and point to the pictures.

What does reading look like at 9 to 11 months?

9 to 11 months, what they can do: Love repetition: the same book, again and again. Books: Pictures of everyday objects like balls and blocks. How long: As long as it's fun.

• Ask questions as you read: "Where's the ball?"
• Stop whenever your baby is done; you never need to read the whole story.

How do I read with a 1 year old?

12 to 14 months, what they can do: Choose a book to share; Point to pictures they like; Copy some animal sounds; Pay attention for a few minutes at a time. Books: Animals and everyday things to point at and name. How long: A few minutes at a time.

• Name the pictures your child points to or looks at.
• Help them turn the pages.
• Ask questions they can answer by pointing, like "Where's the doggie?"

How long should I read to an 18 month old?

18 to 23 months, what they can do: Ask for "more book" or "'nother book"; Say a word or two about a favorite picture; Finish some sentences from books they know well; Enjoy library story time. Books: Familiar animals, and books with lines that repeat. How long: 10 to 15 minutes with the TV off, as part of bedtime.

• Say their words back clearly in a short phrase.
• Speak in slow, short sentences and wait for their turn to talk.
• Use a book to calm and comfort.

How do I read with a 2 or 3 year old?

2 and 3 years, what they can do: Share the same book "over and over and over again"; Ask "What's that?"; At 3, pretend to read a favorite aloud and retell it in their own words. Books: Favorites from the library, again and again. How long: 10 to 20 minutes with the TV off, as part of bedtime.

• Repeat a key word, then pause.
• Count the pictures together.
• Point out colors, shapes and numbers.
• Ask them to tell you about the pictures and the story.

How long should I read to a 4 year old?

4 years, what they can do: Tell you how a story is like things they've seen or done; Ask questions about the book; "Correct" you if you skip a page. Books: Stories with something to talk about. How long: 20 to 30 minutes with the TV off, as part of bedtime.

• Ask them to tell you about the pictures and the story.
• Point out colors, shapes, numbers and letters.
• Borrow books or go to story time at your library.

What if my baby just chews the book?

That's reading at this age. The AAP suggests sturdy board books and soft fabric books with different textures from about 6 months: books that can take it. Let them hold it, turn it upside down and pat the pictures, and keep talking about what you see.

What if we can't read every day?

Any book, any day, counts. The AAP's advice is to make it fun and not forced, and to fit it into a routine you already have, like nap time or bedtime. If reading words is hard for you, talk about the pictures instead: Reach Out and Read encourages families to tell the story the pictures show.