Baby's Story Time
Make your baby the star of his own book for a personal introduction to reading.
What you need:
• Photographs of your baby
• Small cloth or plastic photo album
What to do:
1. Babies particularly enjoy viewing their daily activities. Search for colorful pictures that show scenes familiar and important to your baby, such as you dressing or feeding him; baby playing in the crib and kicking at a mobile; or baby crawling toward a pet.
2. Use a small photo album to put it all together. Books made of plastic or cloth are perfect for babies about 5 to 10 months old. They love to squeeze and crumble the pages. (Books with plastic ring bindings are not advisable for babies who are teething and feel a strong urge to chew on their books.)
3. Slip each picture into a plastic sleeve, cuddle up, and enjoy the "story" together. Be sure to speak in a high-pitched, sweet voice to engage your baby as you point out interesting details.
Learning benefits:
• supports language development
• introduces vocabulary and early reading concepts
Alice Sterling Honig, PhD, a professor emerita of child development at Syracuse University, is the author of many books on infants and toddlers, including Behavior Guidance for Infants and Toddlers and, with H. Brophy, Talking With Your Baby: Family as the First School
