Why Reading to Your Baby Matters (Even from Day One)

We all know children love storytime - maybe it’s something you remember fondly from your own childhood. But when should you start reading to your baby, and why is it such an important part of early development?

Here’s what you need to know about reading to your baby and how to make it part of your everyday activities.

Why Read to a Baby Who Can’t Talk Yet?

Reading to your baby is about so much more than words on a page. It’s a chance to bond, to calm, and to build the foundations of language and learning.

Storytime:

• Strengthens your bond
  
• Soothes and calms baby through the sound of your voice
  
• Stimulates vision and social development
  
• Encourages curiosity, memory and cognitive growth
  
• Lays the groundwork for speech and vocabulary
  

Even before they understand what you're saying, babies are listening and learning. They’re picking up the rhythm of language, watching your expressions, and starting to make sense of the world around them.

When Should I Start?

You can begin from day one — even in the newborn days. Babies are naturally drawn to faces and voices. In the first few weeks, they see best around 20cm away and respond well to high contrast black-and-white images. Don’t purposefully keep your newborn awake to look at pictures but, if they are alert and calm, go for it.

• In the early weeks, try short sessions using books with bold shapes and little or no text. You could also place these pictures to their left or right at nappy change time, so they can start looking at them
  
• From six weeks, babies will begin having longer awake periods and you will find times that are ideal to read to them
  
• By 12 weeks, they can focus better and really enjoy looking at pictures as you talk or read
  

Start small. One or two minutes is enough at first. If they look away or become unsettled, that’s your cue to pause.

Tips for Getting Started

• Place black-and-white images near the changing mat to give them something to look at during nappy changes
  
• Use board books with clear, bold illustrations
  
• Keep it interactive — point to pictures, talk about them, let baby touch and explore the pages as they grow
  

This not only helps development, but also makes everyday moments like nappy changes a little easier.

What Time of Day Is Best?

Let your baby guide you. After a feed, when they are calm and alert, is a great time to read together. As they approach three months, you might also start including storytime as part of your evening wind-down routine. This helps signal that bedtime is coming and supports healthy sleep habits.

Reading to your baby is about connection as much as education. It creates moments of calm, play and presence - and helps build a love of learning that lasts a lifetime.