How to Read to Your Kids

ROFL... brain damaged indeed.

I'm a writer by trade, also. And I'll let you in on 2.5 secrets.

1) I barely read to my son until he was 2. I mean, when he was a captive audience as an infant, maybe a couple times... but really... what a waste. Instead I picked up a good novel and read to myself. :) Monkey see, monkey do.

1.5) Despite my (gasp) not reading regularly, much less every night... he was reading at a k/1st grade level by age 3.

2) The BEST piece of advice I ever got about reading to kids was to read books YOU enjoy, not ones you think THEY will. Here's why:

Language is a complex development. The vast majority of learning is tied to tone, situation, body language, eye contact, micro & macroexpressions... infants & toddlers communicate silently sooooo much more effectively. If you find a book boring (no matter how *wonderful* it's supposed to be)... what will communicate to your child is that you're bored. If you *despise* a book, they may keep asking for it again and again, but 1 will get you 50 it's to watch the struggle you put yourself through. The microexpressions (and macro) of people doing "something they think is good for them" are hilarious. Fascinating. I can't even count the number of times I would do this to my dad. He's the "strong" type, who could never refuse his daughters anything. So you BET I took advantage of that. It was just so FUNNY to watch him struggle mightily against his natural inclinations.

Anyhow... that's a slight tangent. Point being, read books out loud that YOU love to read out loud, and that love will communicate. I do voices. Dragons sound like emphysema patients, mice squeak, snakes lisp. So when we went to barnes and nobel, 1/2 our time there was my speed reading though books to see how "readable" they were to me. Things *I* could enjoy reading 10,000 times. My best friend, however, reads straight. So the books we both loved reading to our little ones were *totally* different from each other.

My two all-time favorite read aloud books:
http://www.amazon.com/Guji-Chih-Yuan-Chen/dp/1929132670
http://www.amazon.com/Chopsticks-Jon-Berkeley/dp/03758330...

9 moms found this helpful

Please ignore those moms who brag about their 7 month old kids who love to be read to. Seven month olds don't have much of an attention span. Books are just "things" to them, something to look at, put in their mouths, and throw.

Where did you hear that babies who aren't read to every night will be brain damaged? Is that someone's joke? It certainly would be an overstatement of the incredulous kind. You're a smart woman - you know that's just silly. And who is pressuring you? Why would someone pressure a scholar such as yourself to do something it is obvious you would do anyway?

Stop talking to people about your worries about reading to a 7 month old. Then you won't have to hear this ridiculous stuff and second guess yourself. You start out by having age appropriate board books for him to handle. It gets him used to having books around him. You want him to touch and handle the books - don't take these books away because he manhandles them. (Books that can be torn up don't need to be left in the floor for him.) You don't try to read to him while he's having his most active part of the day. You read to him and show him the books while you are getting him ready for nap and bed. That's when he's tired and more calm and reading between you two is soothing and a bonding experience. That helps him associate reading with a pleasant feeling, which will help him want to read when he is older and more able to pay attention to the stories. It's also a good way to get him to relax and go to sleep easier!

Choose books like "Goodnight Moon", "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See", "Jamberry", stuff like that. Read them over and over. The books become familiar. He takes in more with each reading, as his brain expands and learns. The pictures are important. They teach a ton.

When he's old enough, take him to the library for story time. Having him go to a library often, especially a small one where children are not expected to be totally quiet, is great, even if he isn't able to benefit much from the library setting. It pushes the concept of books and reading being SO special, which will make all the difference as he gets older.

You're going to do fine. You love the written word - how wonderful that he has you to help him learn this important form of communication when he is older. Have fun, and don't let people make you worry!

All my best,
D.

3 moms found this helpful

There are children in this country who start kindergarten not even knowing how a book functions - they don't know how to turn pages, can't tell when the book is upside down, or understand that you read the pages in sequence. So don't worry about it.

At 7 months old, my daughter was more interested in chewing and drooling on the books, and tossing them around, than anything else. At bed time, I would read to her while she was in the crib and sat in the rocking chair next to it. As she got older, she was still more interested in grabbing the book from me, and trying to flip the pages herself (both backwards and forwards) than hearing any real story line. So a lot of story time consisted of pointing out the pictures and giving descriptions - "Oh look, there's a blue dog! And a red dog! They are driving in cars!"

Closer to 2, she was more apt to sit still and listen, though not always. We still had story time as part of our sleep routine, both naps and bed. Now she is 3 and we are still having story time for naps and bed. She fully expects it and always wants to pick out the stories herself. Sometimes she is "reading" one book while I am reading another out loud. Funny thing, she rarely sits still, but I don't insist on it. I just go on reading, she might be dancing around the room, playing with her toy farm, but she is still listening, and she will "check in" periodically to look at where I'm at. There are times she does just sit next to me and listen to the whole story, but usually she has to be super-tired.

I think if you make it a pleasant relaxing experience, they will naturally come to enjoy it. They will enjoy that one-on-one time with you, and hopefully that is what they will associate with reading. And let them enjoy the books however they do (short of wanton destruction) instead of insisting that they sit still, and only read the pages in the order they go in - that will come soon enough.

Some of my daughter's favorites include Dr. Suess, Eric Carle/Bill Martin, and Todd Parr. I especially love the ones by Todd Parr - the bright colors and kid-like drawings are really captivating and they have really positive messages.

3 moms found this helpful

99% of kids who are read to end up loving books! At 7 months, keep plugging away but it is totally cool if he'd rather throw the book or eat the book. I am a voracious reader. My mom read to us when we were younger (even when we were old enough to read on our own). I do not remember much about any books before the age of 3...But some of my most cherished memories of my mom are reading Little Women, Betsy Tacy, Little House on the Prairie, The Secret Garden. Alas...I have boys but have gotten such a thrill out of reading Sadako, Tuck Everlasting, The Graveyard Book, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Harry Potter, the Lion the With and the Wardrobe...*Sigh* I am gonna go see if anyone wants to read with me right now!

3 moms found this helpful

You've had a lot of great "don't worry about it" responses. But it also sounds like reading with your son is something that's important to you that you want to continue.

My daughter didn't show much interest until after her first birthday. She decided when it was time for long stories. I agree that reading works best when baby is in a quiet, snuggly mood. If he's playful, make reading as silly and physical as possible. Remember that the message you're conveying right now is READING IS FUN.

Get some books that are cloth or plastic (tub-friendly) for your son to play with. He can chew on them and throw them without damaging anything. Just let them be toys, and put them where he can reach them. Occasionally point out the pictures.

Here are some suggestions for types of books to look for as he develops an interest. Some may help now if you want to keep trying, and some may be more appropriate later:

Books with baby faces! The text doesn't matter. You can just point to the baby and say what it's doing. Our library has a series of baby sign books that have great pictures of babies doing things, even if you don't care about signing.

Make a photo album with pictures of family members he knows, and label each picture with a name. As you turn pages..."Look! There's Daddy!" "Where's Grandma?" I actually uploaded photos to shutterfly.com and took advantage of one of their free photo book offers to have it printed and bound just like a real book.

Board books with photographs of animals...Instead of reading the text, make the animal's sound.

Hand puppet board books: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3... ...Wiggle each puppet as you go. Let him grab and manipulate them as you go.

Rhyming books, and books with sound words. Sandra Boynton board books are great. There are also lots of books that use song lyrics or nursery rhymes as text.

Board books with textures on the pages.

Counting or ABC books with bright pictures. Try Karen Katz.

If something particular interests him (say, balls or cars), try to find books with lots of pictures of those objects.

And...Maybe instead of reading, try sitting him on your lap and doing nursery rhymes or songs. It was something my daughter loved at his age. "This Little Piggy," "The Noble Duke of York," "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes"...All will provide interaction with you and convey the rhythm and flow of language. Check out the free children's programs at your local library. Ours have infant story time, and the librarian teaches LOTS of these little rhymes that have physical actions to go with them.

Enjoy it!

3 moms found this helpful

While our daughter was having her bottle, I would read to her. She may have been in my lap, laying next to me, or sitting in a seat.. Sometimes, I read People magazine, or the daily newspaper.. She did not really know.. In the car if I was not having a conversation with her, I had childrens music or stories playing..

When she started reaching for what I was reading, I gave her a book (those soft cloth books) to hold onto or look at.
I never forced her to sit and listen. Sometimes I would show her pictures and make up stories..

Our daughter always was fascinated by books and I am sure you boy will be too.. Right now he wants to explore..

2 moms found this helpful

You don't have to worry about him sitting still if he's not into it at this age. YOU read....books, newspapers, magazines....let him see you reading and just talk to him while you do it. If you seem very interested in something, he will want to know what all the fun is eventually.
Your son is not going to be brain damaged if you don't have a structured story time every single day, for heaven's sakes! You said it yourself, you've always been afraid that your kid won't love reading. You're worrying about it too much!

He's 7 months old.

I had a young friend who was married to a teacher. She was all upset one day and asked my advice. Their first baby still wasn't walking by 11 months old and her husband told her that meant she wouldn't be able to learn how to read. I told her that was the most silly thing I'd ever heard in my life and her baby would be walking in no time at all.
She started walking just a couple weeks after that and is a perfectly functional teenager now.
Some things we just need to kind of relax about.
Everybody wants a baby Einstein.
If you read around your son, he will have a love of reading. It will come naturally.

Best wishes.

2 moms found this helpful

Oh, these well-meaning friends! Gotta love 'em!

Your boy isn't going to grow up to be brain-damaged if you don't read to him every night! The only thing a seven-month-old wants to do with a book is to chew on it. He's not going to get any intellectual pleasure out of it. He will enjoy being with you and hearing your voice.

When he gets a little older, even before he's into stories, you can show him the illustrations in a book and talk to him about what the pictures are. It's the illustrations in children's books that are a baby's introduction to art. But don't start on art lectures any more than book lectures!

Keep books around, but also do other things with him now. Limit the TV time. Play with him, talk to him, show him things around the house and yard, sing to him (doesn't matter whether you can sing or not), whistle to him if you can. Enjoy him!

As your boy grows, he'll see that Mommy and Daddy like to read, and he'll want to do what you do. You'll be hearing, "Read to me!" in no time. THAT'S loving books.

P.S. Just read the other answers. You might start looking for Sandra Boynton's books for when your boy is ready. Not only are they the right size for toddlers, but you're going to love reading them, too! They're a real hoot.

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sometimes, reading can be anything. even if it is a simple flashcard or a cute poster.

my boys refused to let me sing to them. even as babies they screamed and as toddlers begged me to stop. but now that they are prechool age, they beg to have at least 1 song every night.

so, what i'm saying is, it takes time

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Don't worry - but really right before bedtime at that age doesn't sound good. When my daughter was young - it would be during they day when she was fresh and excited to listen. So I would do it during the day - before nap - as long as it isn't making nap too late.

But yes we do read to our daughter every night - but only once she was about 1 or so.

Make sure you have lots of books available - also make sure you read in front of your kiddos. If I'm reading my daughter will read over my shoulder and point out the words she knows. She likes to read numbers as well. She'll usually go find a book and lay down with me "reading." Make sure the books you have around you are OK with them tearing apart - so at that age board books are best.

Relax. . maybe go to baby story time at the library.

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My little man is 10 months old, and he loves listening to me read Sandra Boynton's books! They are so much fun to read! His favorite thing is still to just chew on them. Two of his favorites to listen to are But Not the Hippopotamus and It's Pajama Time. I also love reading/singing Snuggle Puppy to him. :)

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Don't read to him at this age. Look at the pictures of some short board books and point out different things in the pictures ("Look, a bunny!") Also, leave books out on his level so that he can look through them if he's interested. And when he's done, even if the book isn't, that's fine. Don't expect him to have the attention span to last the whole book! He'll come to like the time spent with you when he's a little older. Good luck.

1 mom found this helpful

Two things that I like to do. I play books on tape when I just don't feel like reading that day or he doesn't want to sit on my lap a read with me. (He's 10 months old) And when I fed him when he was younger I would read The Hobbit. Now I mostly just read to him before his night night bottle since his daycare reads to him. He loves to just snuggle up to me and read. I don't think that gender matters with reading.

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There was a similar question a few weeks ago (http://www.mamapedia.com/questions/5168718671387951105)

My answer was basically:
You can try nursery rhymes type of books. At 7 months, your son is too young for stories.
At this age my daughter preferred text-less books with babies. Her favorites were "Baby, Baby" (with pictures of babies and animals) and "Global babies", as well as a "teething" book with only baby faces on it. As your son, she is not a very quiet baby and having her stay still for a while is mission impossible (on the opposite, my son was very quiet and always enjoyed books)
Then, we had some nursery rhyme books that I could sing or read, so she got into associating the book with my reading voice and bedtime routine. Also, as she would enjoy the song with or without the book, even if she was not still on my laps, she enjoyed the reading time.
Now, at 17 months, she loves "I like it when..." for bedtime and begins to be interested in books. Sometimes she grabs a board book from her shelf and gives it to me for "reading" (most of them are still text-less or with just a word or line of text per page). She points at the pictures, often coming back to a specific page again and again, and wants me to tell her what it is, make animal sounds... She also begins to be curious about her brother's little library. He is now 3 and loves books and story, but even for him, pictures still need to be bigger than the text otherwise he would lose interest.

If your son has books around him and sees you enjoy reading, he will get into it sooner or later, too! Children never do what we want them to do. They do what they see us doing. Reading is an enjoyment, a pleasure, a relaxing moment. Not a school chore or performing task. So, my first advice is read a lot, newspapers, magazines, books, whatever and enjoy it. Don't hesitate to laugh loud at a silly article. This will be much more effective than pushing her.

Picking a quiet time and setting a nice routine (a bath book, a bedtime book or reading while nursing/feeding) involving books and quiet time may help also.

1 mom found this helpful

My son is very active and energetic as well, but he's also a huge love bug and cuddler. I've always read to him snuggled up on the couch, the rocker or in his bed. Those are times he wants to be still anyway, so I capitalize on it!

He loves reading (he's a great reader himself, now, at 4 1/2)

HTH
T.

1 mom found this helpful

Seven months please, give me a break. I had plenty of books around the house & when my daughter was old enough (18months - 5years) she would bring them to me & we would read them over & over & over past the point of me being sick of them. She is now 8.5 years & this summer she read the whole Twilight series & a bunch more 200+ pages books. I just modeled reading my favorite books during quiet time. After she learned to read we would take turns reading to each other books she picked out (each a chapter). It took patience on my part. It doesn't hurt that her Dad is a big reader too. I also don't allow over an hour a day of electronics (TV, Wii, Computer) time a day & it must be earned. Just make sure to keep it fun.

1 mom found this helpful

ok i stopped when i read 7 months. my son is a very active little sweetheart, he is bright and articulate, was saying a ton of words by 1, walked at 9 months - and he didn't want to sit still for a book till he was closer to two or three YEARS. now he loves them - although we rotate singing, books, and just an off the cuff story from mom, at bedtime. honestly, most of the time a book is his last choice. he really loves when i just tell him a story - then i can make it about things i know he likes, as well as personal experiences, and keep his interest. don't take it too hard. find other ways to help him be creative and imaginative, and just remember not everyone loves books. it won't mean he will be ignorant or behind in school. 7 months is soooooooo young!!! if those other moms have read to their child every day since they were conceived, great for them. not all kids will put up with it. and i guarantee lots of kids would prefer a one on one conversation with mom over being made to sit still and listen to a book. if you obsess over these things it will really just end up causing your child to feel there is something wrong with him for not enjoying it. everyone has different interests. let him be.

1 mom found this helpful

I too, have a busy boy. He is 16 months old. We have always tried reading to him, but he is more interested in holding the book himself. I feel as long as he sees books every day, can flip through them and look at the pictures, he will be great. You're right...expecting your son to sit and be read to, if he doesn't want to...is unreasonable. If you force him, he most certainly won't like books. My son is more of an explorer. He would rather walk around and scan a book and feel it with his own hands, then have us read to him. That's OK, he's just more curious then most. Be patient, the time will come, when he will sit and love for you to read a book. Or, he might not. He might want to read it to himself. Or, he might not want to read much at all. His love might be making things, exploring the world, and learning by doing. That's OK, too.
No matter how hard you try, reading might not be his love.You can hope for a lover of books and try to foster that, but you can't expect it. Not everyone loves to read.Your son might turn out very different then you and want to do other things. I would focus more on finding what he DOES love to do with you, instead of what others THINK he should love. Foster in him the love of SOMETHING, whatever it may be.

1 mom found this helpful

My DD hated books for kids except one: "Stranger in the Woods" because it's photographs of real animals rather than cartooney characters. We "read" it several times a day...mainly I talked through the photos rather than reading the story. You may need to experiment a little to see which books hold his attention.

Then we graduated to "Bear Snores On" Now we read lots, and lots of books.

My DS loved anything short. Especially short, board books. Now he likes nearly anything!

Don't stress out though...studies say kids who watch their parents read eventually learn to love books too. GL!

1 mom found this helpful

My son was that way at that 7 months, wouldn't sit still, and would rather rip a book up than listen to it read to him. He is 2 1/2 now and loves to sit and listen to anyone read him a book, or six. I wouldn't worry too much about his lack of desire to read at this age. Keep reading to him when you can, even if he only listens for a page or two, and even if he is doing something else, but don't force it. Keep books around and teach him how to take care of them, and let him see you reading. If books and reading are treasured in your home, chances are he will grow up to be a reader and will love it as much as you do.

1 mom found this helpful

The wole world is a book right now. As long as you are using word and talking to him all the time you are giving him the best in developing his cognitive skills. Forcing storytiime only will make him dislike books. At 7 months I owuldn'texpect him to do more than look at a page of a board book while you name objects for him fo rabout 15 second sbefore he tries to shove it in his mouth. My kids started showing some patience an dinterest in board books and story telling around 16-18 months. My 2.5 year old loves to sit and read with me, but usually just 1-3 picture books atr a time and not always. Just talk to him about everything and teach him to love words!!!!

1 mom found this helpful

I know reading is important, but really, its okay if he doesn't like to be read to at this age. My oldest son ( now 11 yo ) LOVED it, from the moment he was born he would sit for as long as I willing to read. My daughter came along ( this will blow your girl theory) and she would arch her back and wiggle and throw herself to get away from me reading to her. I just kept trying, a little here and a little there, and eventually she got into it. She started reading when she was four. She is now nine and incredibly smart. To this day though, it has to be her genre of book, and her choice of author, which as a librarian, you know is perfectly normal.

In my opinion, this is just another example of the supermom syndrome that seems to go around. I now have four children, and they are all bright, intelligent, and interested in the world. Just keep putting it out there and he will respond when he is ready. My children loved tactile books, not just the board ones; plastic rubber, cloth, the more to touch the better. Noise and lights can be inticing, as well.

Remember, these are the same moms that will tell you how their children walk early, talk early, speak 7 languages and play 14 instruments by the time they are in the 4th grade. Let go and let your baby guide you.

1 mom found this helpful

When my son was about the same age (and I already had my daughter addicted to books) my husband turned to me and said, "You realize he'll probably be like me and hate to read."

I said, "Over my dead body." (Having a Ph.D in English makes me pretty snotty.)

I found that, for my son, reading had to be a more tactile process--a time to snuggle, to relax, and to have Mommy's undivided attention. Even now, at six, he always sits in my lap (his choice), and that seems to help him pay attention (and love reading).

My only real suggestion is choose appropriate books and make sure the emphasis is on the act of reading--not the book itself. If a book doesn't resonate with him, try something else. My daughter adored bright pictures (now, at nine, she's far more interested in art than anything else), but with my son, it was cars (even pretty lame books about cars).

My son is now a better reader at 6 than his sister was. And he loves reading, loves a good story, and loves action (though the pictures still don't impress him the way they do my daughter).

Just don't make reading a chore--don't force it on him. Make it the happiest time of the day, and he will respond.

1 mom found this helpful

My son LOVES to read!! He is 4 years old. I wouldn't say that I read to him every night, but def books have always been apart of his life. We also do story time at the library every week. He LOVES to sit and hear the stories.

Maybe you can go to the library and try out a few different styles of books. Meaning, pop up books, books that have "feely" things in it, shape books, car books. Maybe he/you just hasn't found what he is interested in yet? I can't say that my kids loves every book I got him. There are still books on our book shelves that he hasn't even thouched and has had since birth. So, I think I would just give it some time and try a variety of different books. Maybe he will find one he loves. Again - he isonly 7 months old so give it some time.

Good luck! And keep up the good work!

1 mom found this helpful

C.,
It's me, your neighbor. Ask me about this in person, but here are the highlights. I avoided reading to R as an infant because he would just chew on the books, but he LOVES them now (and has for a few years now). Also, I used to watch a little boy that I started taking to the library and reading to him before nap. At first he wasn't interested at all, but then something clicked. Sometime between the ages of 1 and 2 he fell in love with books. He used to ask me to read the same book over and over and over... and over! "Flap Your Wings" by P.D. Eastman.
In short, you have *nothing* to worry about.

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I don't think you need to worry so much at this age! He is more interested right now in crawling, and soon he will be pulling up and walking, and that will be WAY more exciting to him than sitting still and reading books. When he is a little bit older (like maybe a year old or 18 months), make reading a quick story part of your bedtime routine. I read books to my girls such as In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak, Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney, Good Night Gorilla, Goodnight Moon - these are short stories with simple pictures. Great for toddlers. Let him play with board books during the day, and if he's looking at pictures in the books, you can say, "Look, there's a duck." or "That baby is happy." Maybe not necessarily reading the book to him, but showing him that you can find information in books, and books are fun.

Then as he gets a little bit older, he will be more and more willing to sit still for a bedtime story, and maybe will want you to read to him at other times of the day. As he learns to sit for a bit longer, you can move on to slightly more complicated stories and pictures - Green Eggs and Ham, Cat in the Hat, Fox in Socks. Just keep the stories at his level and if he seems bored, ask him if he wants you to stop reading. (You may be surprised that he is listening, and wants you to continue, but is just wiggling - my younger daughter is still this way at 5 years old!)

I wouldn't really worry that you're scarring him for life by not reading to him nightly at 7 months though. They need a life of action at that age! =)

1 mom found this helpful

don't feel pressured! it should be fun for you too! baby will pick up on anxiety. have books around and maybe look at pictures when you're nursing or snuggling, but don't let other people's expectations interfere with your own budding relationship.
and here's a different perspective......i too love books and was so excited to have victims...er... children to read to. i read to my babies from the gitgo. we started off with bedtime stories. then we added breakfast stories. plus books on tape in the car, and once we started homeschooling, i was reading to 'em all the time.
well, my boys are both both bright, well-read, have terrific vocabularies and use them with ease, but that love of reading i hoped and KNEW i was instilling didn't happen. probably what did happen was overkill. my enthusiasm had the exact opposite effect of the one i wanted.
every now and then one of 'em will read a book (or more likely listen to one) but neither is a passionate reader.
my husband recently rediscovered a love for reading and i'm now i'm hitting the library regularly for him as well as me, but sadly not for my two college students.
so my tip is to follow your son's lead, and relax.
:) khairete
S.

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This is an age where a lot of kids don't enjoy reading and can't sit still long enough for even a single book. One tip for this age is don't incorporate reading into your bedtime routine (you can wait a few months and try again for that), but rather make reading part of playtime instead. Maybe at bedtime he is just too tired and squirmy to sit still for the story. What if you read when he woke up from his nap and was in a snuggly mood, or just in the middle of the day when you were playing? he might enjoy this more.

Also, try books with textures, sparkles, and other things that he can touch, see, smell, or hear. This might capture his interest a little more too.

As he approaches his bday, he'll probably be able to sit still for books and you can make it part of bedtime again.

I really like these books: http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/esuite/control/product?P...
Each one has several different nursery rhymes/stories and come with suggested actions for each one - some intended to get your baby active and moving, and others intended to help calm and soothe them. The pictures are cute and, putting something physical into it, helps squirmier kids listen to the story because there is something for them to do while they listen.

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You can also read to him while he is playing. he doesn't need to be still.

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hey girl, i'm definitely not that seasoned (lol), my son's only 21 ms, but i felt the same way...felt so bad i wasn't reading to him every night...God knows i tried b/c i felt that pressure too plus i wanted to! but as he got older, i'll say definitely after 12 ms, maybe even after 14 ms. it suddenly became part of our nighttime routine. he is a high octane child so i don't know how, but every night he climbs in my lap while i read him 2 books. your little boy will come around. i kept the books out & as he got older & was more interested, he'd pick 'em up by himself, which i guess cued me to start trying reading to him again. i thought i was doomed but it's working out (so far, crossing fingers!) just like i'd always wanted it to. :)
so i think you're on the right track girlfriend... :)
take care! :)

Ignore your friends. I don't even have your background with this and I got lots of comments about it. I gave up trying to read to her when she was a baby. Then when she turned one we got all of these books with pictures in them and the word beneath it, and other board books that had a short sentence on each page.
I can't tell you how many of her books I have memorized. I could type one out to you right now without even looking at it. Books are one of her favorite toys right now. She wil literally shove them in your face and have you read to her....over....and over.....and over....and over again.
Just give it time. The only thing I did was get hand puppets and tell a story to my baby at that age, but reading was definately out of the question. And the story I told would be like 15 seconds long.....about as long as her attention span. =) Good Luck!
Oh and I found a lot of those simple books at target's dollar spot. some of her fav's are from there.

You could try board books with flaps, or pop-up books when he's a bit older. That way it's more of a toy. My son is 8, and I still have trouble getting him to sit still to read with me. Some days I read to him while he's brushing his teeth.

Patience! = ) I was born with a love to read and it has been my hope that each of my children would embrace this love for books as well. So far so good, my 14 year old and 9 year old both devour chapter books. My 3 year old took longer...start with having quiet time together just sitting and flipping through pages and make observations do not be stuck to the story line, let him turn pages ( board books ROCK!) observations like naming animals, pointing out colors, when he gets bored, move on. Make sure he sees you reading, kiddo's do love to imitate us you know! Also I like rhyming text, Sandra Boynton is awesome. Before too long your child will start to have defined interests, find books that cater to those interests, for my son it was books with real pictures of animals. For what seemed like the longest time we didn't get to actually read books, not in the traditional word for word sense, until he was much older, now he is 3 and I can read stacks at a time = ) Good luck! Happy reading = )

I started reading to my daughter when she was 2 months old, but I have never read to her before bed. That is generally one of the hardest times to get a child to sit still. Before she was mobile, we would lay on our backs next to her and hold the book above us and read. When she got mobile, we stopped reading to her for a while, but kept board books around. She would pick them up, chew on them, and turn the pages. After she learned to walk, she would carry them, and sit in a chair and flip through them on her own, but still had no interest in being read to. Now, at 18 months, the newness of mobility has worn off and she will bring me books obsessively and we have to read them over and over and over.

There are different stages of book awareness and learning. My best recommendation is keep the books around and the TV off and it will happen on its own. The more you push your child, the more he will resist, so take the pressure off, keep the books around, lay on the floor and read out loud and let him come and go as he pleases (basically modeling to him rather than reading to him) and don't plug him in. Toddlers and babies want to be like the adults around them, so trust your modeling and let him explore books at his own comfort level.

Good luck!!!

You should read to him as soon as possible. Have you heard of Jim Trelease? Foremost expert on reading out loud to children....do it now and every day as part of a regular, loving routine. I have a 7 yr old daughter and a 4 year old son and started them as young as 8 weeks just the act of holding them and reading out loud. Recommend holding him while he has his bottle and read a couple of board books with good rhythym like Dr Seuss, "Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb" or some good simple nursery rhymes. Make it fun and dramatic when you can with lots of intonation and accents or changes in volume. Soon it will become a comforting routine, he will want to turn the pages, etc and then KEEP reading to him as he gets very busy and older. They are not going to sit still but will still expect you to read to him as a beloved time with mommy.
You know this as a librarian, giving your child the gift of loving to read is one of the greatest gifts you can give.
Buy Jim Trealease's seminal book, "Now Hear This" and you'll get very good instruction on exactly what you are asking here. Lots of luck, mom!

I have a 14 month old and she is now just getting to the point of sitting in my lap or will bring me a book to read to her. Dont worry to much now he is still young. Just keep reading even if he is not in your lap. it will just click and he will be begging to be read too.

We had a couple of books that were perfect for little babies...both of them soft. One had big colorful pictures of objects and at the end, the last "page" was a vinyl "mirror" that my daughter could see herself in---instant success!!!

The other was one made of cloth that had vinyl windows like a photo album and we were able to put pictures of people my daughters knew in it.

You "read" by talking in very simple ways about what you see. Later, you add books that have a few words with the pictures. Our favorites, always, when they are learning language--before they can talk, but certainly after as well--are Dr. Seuss books. My first daughter could "read" The Lorax on her 2nd birthday. I'm certain it helped her language development to be read to as she learned to coordinate her sounds, and I have her on tape on her birthday, talking about being two and reciting from memory the entire book as we turned the pages.

Another favorite for all my daughters is "A Fairy Went A Marketing". It has absolutely beautiful pictures with great detail to pore over, a very simple sweet rhyme, and tells a story of love, compassion, giving, and self-esteem.

Oh, and of course, "Goodnight Moon"--there is something so incredibly soothing about it. You can point to the different things, use a soft voice, get quieter as you go through the book, just as the pages get dimmer and more sleepy. We had to read that about 20 times every night for awhile.

Find what he is interested in--even as a baby you can do that. Like I said, images of himself and those he knows. And show him books about those things. Point to pictures and say single words that get his attention. He will get the idea that books can tell him about what he likes to know about.

Cut yourself some slack on this one. If you enjoy reading to your son and he enjoys it, then go for it. If he doesn't like it yet, give it some time. I didn't read to any of my kids as infants. But by age two, they were bringing me stacks of books to read. I would suggest having books around and reading to him occasionally so he knows what they are. He will give you cues when he wants to read. BTW, my oldest two started reading and understanding Harry Potter books in 2nd grade, so they didn't end up brain damaged.

Some times my daughter likes to play with her dolls as I read to her. And other times she wants to snuggle up to read. It all depends. Your little one is still getting use to being outside of your womb :) If he would rather play with his toes you can always say, "Mama is going to read you 'Good night moon' while you play with your toes." Don't worry that he isn't fully present to the situation. I also recommend black and white illustrations and photos of babies.

I have two crazy high energy boys and they have phases where they won't sit for stories and phases when they will. I used to take my oldest to library storytime weekly when he was little but when he was old enough to walk around we stopped going because he wouldn't be quiet and sit still. My youngest loves to be read to and always has. At 2 1/2 he has his favorite books we read over and over. BUT do I read to them every night, NO WAY. Some nights they are so wound up before bedtime we just let the play alone in their rooms and look at books in bed by themselves just before they sleep. Other nights I am too tired and not in the mood so we skip it too. Don't worry not reading to them EVERYDAY isn't going to damage them. Just do it as often as possible and they will benefit. My four year old is already listening to chapter books like the Littles and Majic Treehouse. They both love to read just at different stages and times in life.

To start with that's bull hockey about him being brain damaged if not read to. Maybe at 7 months look at simple board books together when you have a quiet moment together. By the time he is two start a regular time while he is in bed that you read a short story before bed. We have had this as a special experience leading up to chapter books by age 5. You can make up stories with hiseyes closed or sit up with a picture book. This was a most pleasant time. There is no need to force reading time on a child.

Just get books in his hands at this point. If he doesn't want to hold still to finish a book (neither does my 1 year old) then he's still getting exposure to having books in his normal daily environment. We have lots of books in our house and while my 3 year old was overfilling a box with books she wants to make sure were on the bookshelf, it dawned on me that the only toy she needs in our house is books. Since she's always been able to get her hands on them, she will generally ask us to read at least 5 or 6 books a day aside from her before bed book. Since we only really have about 2-3 hours a day at home to play, that's a lot of books.

My 1 year old doesn't sit still for a whole story yet, but she too will often bring books over to us to have us read them. She also chews on them. It's the same that my 3 year old did at the same age.

each kid is different, he might be interested in it later so keep trying, in the meantime do a read aloud higher level story while he is playing around on the floor so he can at least build up his receptive vocabulary.