Books: 5 Ways To Play

Reading to your young baby might not seem intuitive when they can’t read the words themselves! There are, however, SO many benefits from reading to your baby from a young age (you can start from day 1).

If reading is a good idea surely there isn't that much to it? Are there really 5 ways to play with books? Read on for expert tips from our paediatric speech pathologist, Chiara on HOW to read with babies and children plus a couple of movement ideas from physiotherapist Alison as well. 

Why is reading together with your baby or child so important?

• Helps your baby get familiar with sounds and words. The more words your baby hears over time, the more words they will learn. 
• Develop early literacy skills
• Develop understanding of language
• Ignite their imagination
• Learn to value books
• Wonderful 1:1 time with an adult!

Chiara's number 1 tip... You don’t have just read the book from front to cover though….here’s some different ways to change up your book reading!

1. You don’t have to read the text- This might seem strange….but you don’t have to read the text to read a book! You don't have to read any of it, or all of it! If you find your little one is having trouble paying attention to a whole story, or it is a very long book with lots of text, you can simply comment on the pictures instead! Label what you can see in the pictures, using lots of verbs too….then pause to allow your child a chance to copy or say what they can see too!

This tip is great because it means you can read a much bigger variety of books. No need to buy only special "first words" books for your baby you can choose longer books for your collection that are more interesting to older siblings, yourself or will hold your baby's attention as they grow. Just modify the way you read as your child's understanding and attention grows! 

2. Spot the…… Play a game where you find different items in the pictures. You can use the phrase ‘I see…...a dog!’ and then encourage your little one to find what you can see. Take turns and see if they can also use the phrase too!

Be sure to be patient and give your little one lots of time to respond then marvel at the amazing things they notice that your adult eyes skipped right over!

3. Pause before you turn the page- Try holding the page down to create a little communication opportunity. Your little one will try to turn the page but get stuck when they realise you’re holding it down. A perfect time for them to ask for ‘help’ or to ‘turn the page’. If they don’t say it, you can model this for them!

4. Read and hold… then read and move- When your baby first learns to move into a position like tummy time, sitting, kneeling or standing they will need their hands to lean on or hold on to keep hold balance. Books provide a lovely opportunity for connection and engagement while your bub holds still. The parent holds the book and turns the page.

Above are some examples of a baby starting out in tummy time and sitting. The baby is just learning and needs help to hold the position as well as seeing the pages. These babies are working on their static balance in these positions. For lots more ideas for how to support your baby in tummy time and sitting members click on these links. 

As your baby perfects the position you can hand the book to your baby. Turning the pages and holding the book provides a balance challenge for your baby and helps them learn to move and twist in each position which builds their strength. 

Above are some examples of a baby who is now confident in tummy time and sitting and enjoys chasing and exploring the book and flipping the pages independently. These babies are working on their dynamic balance and building the skills they need to be able to crawl and move between tummy and sitting positions independently. Members want more? Click here. 

5. Finish the sentence- Got a book that your child has read over and over? Chances are you both know the story very well! Try pausing before the last word of the sentence to see if they will finish it off for you (e.g. Here is the up sheep and here is the……’). Even if they don’t say the word, they might join in with a sound or gesture like pointing. 

For a beautiful collection of books, check out Bookieboo. They are a wonderful Australian small business and have an inspiring and unique range of books plus a book box subscription! Karly has an honours degree in psychology and specialises in curating bundles of books and other resources to support children's learning and develop their love of books.

Alison, our Walky half, she has a sister who is a psychologist who has chosen some extremely valuable books for her little girls that have been woven into our family's rituals. Children's picture books have such power to encourage, excite and reassure little minds, visit Karly to find the right fit for your family!