They say that children learn the most in their lives before the age of three. Therefore i believe it is crucial to start reading to children at an early age. I was thinking today I might start reading to my 1 week old baby, have not started that young before. So what age where your children when you first read to them?
[question posted by kiran1978]
responses and comments:
Oh, definitely read to your baby! I was reading to mine as soon as I brought them home from the hospital. My oldest child was very sick when he was born and was sent to a bigger hospital for more than a weeks stay, and I read to him while he was in there. Reading is one of the greatest gifts you can give your child. [ky1119]
Hi, thanks for your response. Good to hear that you were reading to your child at such an early age, you are giving your child a great head start in their education. :)) [kiran1978]
I started readign to my two oldest right from their first couple of weeks of life....Unfortunately with my youngest I never had the chance to read to him before he passed away... [Ravenladyj]
I am so sorry to hear about your youngest child. Your children are very lucky to have such a caring mum who reads to them at such an early age. :)) [kiran1978]
even though she probably did'nt understand ,i started reading story books to my daughter when she was about 6 months old [mrpippo]
Hi, no she probably doesn't remember you reading to her then, but she definately was absorbing in all the information and language. How old is your daughter now? Thanks for your response. :) [kiran1978]
I actually started reading to my kids when i was pregnant with them. Sounds funny but they can hear you so why not. As soon as they were born i read daily to them, my kids love to read and are very intelligent because of this. Good question. Donna [scags2005]
Hi Donna, wow you are keen, that is great that you read to your child whilst you were pregnant. I know they can hear our voice, it is fascinating how they recognise your voice. You definately have gave them a great start to life and now you are seeing the rewards, in your children being intelligent. [kiran1978]
hi kiran to be honest i think anytime is ok, cos even though a child may not know what is being said to them it is comforting for them to hear their mothers voice-i started reading to mine when they were about two or three just before they went to bed and they were normally out like light after -to me i think any time is ok to do that-your friend littleowl [littleowl]
Hey littleowl, I think I started reading to my children from age 1 and up, but I will start now with this little bundle. Good to hear you started reading to your kids at an early age, I think it is a great way to bond with them also. Thanks for your response. :)) [kiran1978]
I started reading to my son when he was about a month old. we read constantly and now he loves it! [beckyp]
That is great to hear, your son is very lucky. Thanks for your response. :) [kiran1978]
I think I started reading to my daughter when she was born. I mean I read stuff outloud and listened to music while pregnant, so I didn't see the harm in reading after she was born. They do listen even though it looks like they aren't. lol Play music also if you like music, your son/daughter will grow up loving it. Mine is a Music Fanatic (knows everything and all songs). [icyorchid]
Definately no harm in reading to your child when they are one month old, I was just curious at what age people started reading to them. Yeah it is funny how kids love music at such an early age, my three year old has good rhythm she watches that show, you can dance and tries to copy some of their moves. Thanks for your response. :) [kiran1978]
Its hard to remember the exact age but it was very young as in under one year old.At first it was picture books which held their attention.They could all read themselves at a very early age and are all avid readers to this day.I hate reading out loud as it makes me tired but i am so glad i did as my youngest who is nine years old has a reading age of an adult.The girls who are older now were the same. [superbren]
My older daughter did not start reading english until she was almost eight years old, but she learned to read french at six yrs. However, my 2nd daughter was reading at 4yrs. She was reading the newspaper and doing grade 2 math at 5 yrs. toda y at 13 she reads and understands at a university level. This I think is because I constantly read to her and make reading fun and exciting.To this day she still enjoys it, when she is depress or upset she reads, it's amazing what reading does. [mizcash]
many psychologist says that it is better if your read story book since the baby is in your wound...baby can understand you because she/he is with you, you are connected 24 hours a day...this will also help him/her to develop good values depending on the story you read...you can continue even her/his new birth until she understand the story...did you did that, if not you can do this until her/his elementary period. [julyteen]
I started reading to all three of my children at a very early age, while they were still babies. My oldest two loved it and still like for me to read every now and then although they are 9 and 8 years old now. My daughter, however, never really got into reading until recently and even now it's more about getting to the end of the book and being able to say the end. LOL! She really has to be in the mood for her to be able to calm down enough to sit and let me read to her, so I usually do it at bed time when she knows it's time to rest and I get more accomplished that way. God bless [asgtswife04]
Oh ...do it. I used to write childrens stories and not to be published but only for my own children. I read then and adlibbed in them when they were very young...yup a week old. I myself read alot and have always read to my children. I have 4 children ....all but one grown and all but one are now very avid readers. I also always played music in the background of my home ....always....and all my girls love music and I very rarely watched tv and none of my girls are r eal big tv watchers. [sid556]
I started about a year with my son. I wish I could have started sooner but with the two older ones running around and my husbands 2 surgeries right after he was born it was tough. Start as soon as you can. [homegrowntexasgirl]
I started reading to my daughter when she was only six weeks old. I hadn't planned on reading to her until she could at least pay attention, like at six months. I was a teen mom and I need 1.5 more credits to graduate so I enrolled in an alternative school, and one of the requirements was that I take a parenting class, and the teacher told us that we should read to our babies from the very start. She even gave us books we could keep and take home to read to our little ones. I try to read to my daughter every day but sometimes I get too busy, however, she is read to at least twice a week. Sometimes she acts like she's enjoying all the colorful pictures and funny sounds I'm making, sometimes she seems completely disinterested. Either way, it's not bad for her. [Samanthavv]
I started reading to my children right away, I would also play music all the time for them as well. When they were in the womb I would talk to them so they could hear me all the time too. I just think it is never to early to introduce them to sounds. [Deea48]
For me, reading is a great and beneficial pastime. As and avid reader myself, I always encourage my kids to read cause I believe the habit of reading at a young age will carry through to adulthood. I started reading to my eldest son when he was 2 years old. Although he cannot understand fully what I was saying but he likes the colorful pictures and animated gestures that I did. He became more interested in books and gradually started to read. I find this technique effective and applied it to the rest of my children. Actually, it is better to start reading to them as early as possible. [x7heavens]
My aunt used to read to my belly before my oldest son was born. :) He could "read" books to us at 2 and a half. Of course he really couldn't read but he had them memorized. Neither one of my boys like to read much right now. They are 10 and 9 years old. My daughter who is almost 7 still loves to read though. My normally (extremely) active almost two year old daughter LOVES to be read to! Today we read some Dr. Seuss and tonight she grabbed Anne of Green Gables from our bookshelf and brought it to me. It has no pictures and tiny font. It is a book for a much much older kid as it is over 300 pages long! She climbed in my lap and I thought there was no way she was going to sit through more than a sentence or two... She stayed for the whole first page and when I closed the book she said, "Mom!" and pointed her little finger tapping on the cover! I should have seen how much of it she would have sat through but I was bored with it and the font so small... Not to mention it was way past her bedtime, so I put her to bed with daddy instead. Tomorrow we will find a book that will entertain both of us. :) [moneyandgc]
Mine were babies when I started to read to them. A lot of it was for my own pleasure. I liked doing it, even before they were old enough to really take it in I'm sure. It's a way of feeling close to them. [Anhedonia]
I started to read to my sons at the age of 1 and than continued until they stared to go to kindergarden [sweetaspie52]
lol..not as young as that. But we first started reading to our older son when he was around 6 months old. But the little one who is 15 months now...doesn't seem to be showing any interest towards books. He'll glance at a few pages and then throw it away:( [SViswan]
hey,interesting discustion,but I dont have kid yet,even I am not married yet.^^but I can give my opinion,what about 3? )) good luck! [Petercheung]
Absolutely, Kiran! Read to your baby now. Some people read to their babies before they are born! I read to my 6-year-old from the time he was born, and he now has a love for books and reading. He's in the highest reading group in his class, and the only one in that reading group. The first book I read to him was "Oh, the thinks you can think", by Dr. Suess. Now, my 3-year-old was a little more difficult. It was hard to read to him because he had trouble sitting still and just "looking" at the book instead of trying to rip the pages. His personality is opposite of my mellow 6-year-old. But now, he loves for me to read to him. Read a book a day to your baby, until he or she is old enough to read you a book every day! [Dinolist]
I was reading out loud when my daughter was still in my womb. When I packed for the hospital stay, I packed a few story books as well and read to my daughter while she nursed a few hours after she was born. At 9yrs. she still brings me books to read to her but now we read together. She reads one page, I read the next one and so on. [blackbriar]
Oh, I think it was from the day that they was born 34 and 29 years before. I must to tell you something funny: I remember when I was a child and my father came to read a story for me my mother called from the kichen and ask: Is he asleep and I answered yes he asleep!! [as2006]
Yes, def read to your little one, she/he will benefit from it later in life. I read to my boys from the time they were in the womb. They are ages 6,5, and 16 months, and they all love books. I just purchased the Hooked on Phonics Toddler Edition for my youngest and he already has a fav book. Reading is great. Have fun! [momoflilboys]
As my children are both in their 30's I had to think about this one. As I've always 'read aloud' for at least 15 minutes a day (it's supposed to keep the brain active) I suppose I must have done it when they were in the womb. I think they were about 6 months old when I started reading 'baby books' with them and both learnt to read themselves at 3 years. I don't know if that accounts for them both being very intelligent and still having a love for reading but I'm sure it helped. Mum's voice is a comfort to any baby, and it won't hurt either of you! [Annmac]
I read to, sang to, and prayed out loud with my children while I was pregnant with them. They are both good readers and students as well as singer/musicians and very devout in their faith in Christ. Also, one very striking thing is that my first son was in my arms the day after he was born. We were in the bed at the hospital and his father came in and began talking. Immediately my son, less than 24 hours old, turned at the sound of his father's voice, which I am sure he knew from before he was born and his father and I were speaking together. [kbkbooks]
I remember my daughter was literally a newborn and reading to her. I love to read so I just couldnt wait to have children and have someone to read to. I'm the type of person who cant just sit and stare into space thinking I am to restless I have to be doing something. I choose to read it keeps me in one place. I will read a cereal box over and over while I eat. I read my daughter books while I nurse my son. I read book when I am in a traffic jam or in the waiting room at the doctors office. My daughter loves reading and I think its because I started reading to her so young. She has me read an average of 2 hours each day or about 20 books. My son loves books to at 4 months old he loves touching the pages while I read to my daughter so I think while he is hearing things being read while hes nursing and sitting on my lap while I am reading to my daughter will encourage him to enjoy books as well! [shaggin]
happyHi kiran1978. When I was pregnant with my kids I used to read stories before bedtime and listen to a CD (Genius Baby-Classical Music) which my sister gave me. They say that even when the baby is still in the womb it can hear your voice and the music. This contribute to the mental nourishment of the baby even before birth. So yes, you can start reading to your baby now. And when you read a story, try to be more expressive with the way you read it, with the tone of your voice and the emotion that story telling requires. The baby can absorb your feelings and emotions, and you will be able to nourish her at this early stage. I love it when babies come to this stage when they can already see colors and appreciate the book illustrations or pictures. This stage will be more enjoyable for you and your baby. Have a nice day ahead.happy [toni_nakama]
With both of my children I actually started reading to them in the womb. I would read things out loud. When they were born I just continued, they say its good for them to just hear you constantly speaking whether your reading or just explaining what your doing when their young. My son who is now 2 loves to read. I've read to him before bed since he was born and i hope that my daughter that is now 4 months is the same way, I will do her the same every night before bed and whenever they want during the day. [kblakley]