Born to Read

We have now established a routine that we follow most days. When Nicholas wakes up in the morning he eats and we sit for 20-30 minutes to help avoid spit-ups, then we have some activities and then he goes to sleep again. This routine repeats itself throughout the day until bedtime (about 7:30 - 8:00 pm). At this stage, his awake times during the day are generally about 1.5 hours.

The exact activity can vary. It may include a walk if the weather is nice or a trip to the coffee shop if the weather isn't so nice and even includes a play group which we joined this past week. But at least once in the morning and then again in the afternoon we have Tummy Time and Floor Play either on the floor quilt or the baby gym, then we read a few board books. How many books we read depends upon his mood.

Many people say a newborn is too young for story times. I say they are wrong (and early childhood research supports me). Just look at the evidence...

He likes to look at the pictures, he likes to hear our voices reading to him and he likes sitting up in our laps. It will help him to learn to talk, expand his vocabulary and match words with pictures. Plus it introduces him to the concept of books and makes books fun, which will help him learn to read in about 5 more years. As a librarian, teaching our child to love reading is very important to me!

Of course, after all that activity it is definitely time for some sleep. He's exhausted!

For information about "Born to Read," an early childhood literacy program started by the American Library Association, please click this link.