The nightmare no parent can escape. The day their child learns to say and use ‘No’. Repeatedly.

But, there is actually one instance when it’s kind of cute (!!) to hear your little one say ‘No’ over and over. And that is when you read Where’s Spot with him. This classic board book about [...]]]> “No!!” “No!” “No!”

The nightmare no parent can escape. The day their child learns to say and use ‘No’. Repeatedly.

But, there is actually one instance when it’s kind of cute (!!) to hear your little one say ‘No’ over and over. And that is when you read Where’s Spot with him. This classic board book about a Mommy dog looking for her son Spot at dinner time is a great choice for infants, older babies and toddlers alike. That’s because it has enjoyable elements that they don’t outgrow for a long time.

When your baby is really young, you’ll probably have to do all the lifting and turning in this lift the flap board book. On each page, you and your baby will help Spot’s Mom look for Spot inside the clock, under the bed, under the stairs and rug. As you lift each flap and ask the question ‘ Is he (here)?’, your baby will be delighted to hear you say ‘ No!”. The suspense builds as you look for him in various places, discovering other hidden animals along the way, before finally finding Spot just in time for supper.

As your baby grows, he’ll be excited to lift the flaps himself and say “No” as you turn each page together. (Don’t be surprised if a few flaps go missing after some time. There’s only so much patience and gentle handling you can expect from a toddler! Use your hands to cover Spot’s probable hiding places instead to make it all the more fun for your little one to lift your palm and look for Spot.)

Soon your toddler will probably be able to ‘read’ the sentences from memory and answer the question himself. “Is he behind the door?” ” No! “. This is a fun phase. Because, you don’t really have to do much except sit back and watch him do all the reading, lifting and discovering. And although you both know that he knows where Spot really is, it’s fun to watch him wonder if he’s behind the door or under the bed.

My little girl received Where’s Spot as a gift when she was about 5 months old. She enjoyed it through her first and second year. Although she is 3 now and has probably outgrown it, and although the now tattered book has seen better days….I still don’t have the heart to discard it…just yet. Every time I look at the familiar blue and yellow cover, I’m reminded of the countless times my daughter and I have looked for and found Spot together. There’s just something about that memory that I haven’t still outgrown myself.

Also,

- It’s a compact sized book – light and easy to carry, may fit in your bag. So is a good choice for a road trip or long flight.
- If supper time is a struggle with your child, you could use the simple hide and seek concept in this book to get your kid to eat. Play a mock hide and seek game and every time you ‘find’ him, he has to come back and eat a bite or a spoonful.

But for now, if your baby is just a few months old, you [...]]]> One day in the not too distant future, your 7 or 8 yr old will declare,”But I’ve already read /seen/ played/ done that like a hundred times. I’m bored” when you suggest he go read/watch/play or do something and stop bothering you.

But for now, if your baby is just a few months old, you can relax. You won’t face that particular problem. Yet.

Babies love repetition. And when it comes to reading to your baby, you’ve got to take advantage of this fact. It not only makes things easier for you, it’s also exactly what the Doctor prescribed for your baby.

This advice may seem easy to follow, but until you’ve read Goodnight Moon or a book of Mother Goose rhymes at least 137 times, you won’t know what I’m talking about.
Seriously. Babies are crazy about repetition. ( Am I being clear enough here?)

So, how do you bring this advice into practice?

Choose books with repeated words or phrases
Take Goodnight Moon, Where’s Spot or The Very Hungry Caterpillar for example. See what I mean? When you read these books over and over again to your baby, she starts to enjoy the rhythm, the predictability of the sounds, the repetition.
Choose the same book or set of books
With very young babies, it doesn’t really matter what you read to them, as long as they get to hear your voice and some sounds. But, as they grow older, maybe around 4 months or so, they start to develop an interest in certain objects and sounds. They begin identifying familiar things. Around that time, your baby may even develop favorites. Don’t be surprised if she really likes one particular book and won’t calm down until you’ve read that over and over. This is one of the phases babies go through and for some, it lasts longer than others. Your baby may just prefer to read one book repeatedly instead of exploring new books. Just be aware of the signals your baby sends you as you read and if you think she enjoys a particular book or set of books then by all means, repeat the same books for as many days or weeks as she continues to be interested.
Repeat as you read
Read a silly phrase or a funny word twice, maybe thrice. Repeat certain lines. Or names of characters. The more you repeat, the better the chances of your baby registering what you’re reading. Don’t overdo it though. Take your cue from your baby’s expressions. If she looks bored or distracted, turn the page or move on to something new.
Rotate books
When you’ve read a book several dozen times with your baby and she seems to be losing interest, don’t discard the book right away. Keep it aside for a few weeks, explore other books and then bring it back. When you read a book with your baby after a few weeks or months, you’ll be surprised at how much she has grown and learned since the last time you read the book together. This time around she may be able to repeat some of the sounds or point to pictures or even attempt to complete the phrases, depending on how old she is, of course. I find this an amusing exercise to do with my daughter. I bring out the books we used to read when she was an infant and watching her respond to those books now – it amazes me how much she has grown in three short years.

A librarian friend was telling me about how it makes her crazy when she hears people tell her their babies are too young for books or story time. I see what she means.

* After all, researchers agree that 75% of brain development – emotional and intellectual- happens in the [...]]]> The short answer, of course, is No.

A librarian friend was telling me about how it makes her crazy when she hears people tell her their babies are too young for books or story time.
I see what she means.

* After all, researchers agree that 75% of brain development – emotional and intellectual- happens in the first few years. So, babies actually begin to learn the moment they are born.

*During this time, nerve connections are being made at a rapid pace in baby’s brain. The more a baby is nurtured and stimulated, the more intricate the connections in his brain, thus improving the chances that baby develops to his full potential.

* As mentioned in this Babycenter article, studies show that a baby’s language skills and intelligence are directly related to the number of words he hears every day.

* The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends reading aloud daily to your baby starting at 6 months of age. But, the fact is, you don’t have to wait. It’s never too early to read to or play with your child. (I know many parents who started when their baby was just days old. I am one of them.)

“But my baby doesn’t seem interested!”
Newborns may not respond to your reading, so it may be difficult to tell if they’re really even listening or benefiting from your efforts. But, you will see that with time, your baby will begin to understand the routine, be curious about the book you’re holding, show interest in the pictures and generally, begin to enjoy reading time. The advantage of starting early(if you want to) is that by the time your baby is 6 months old or ready to observe pictures and register words, she would already be familiar with the books. She would already have a head start and you will actually have to put in very little effort to get her interested in reading with you.

When M was an infant, we lived in a small town. I used to drive her to story time at a book store about 50 miles away every week, since our library did not have a children’s program then. The story time lasted 30 mins, the drive took 45 minutes each way. You might wonder if it was really worth taking all that effort with a 3 month old infant. And I have wondered too.

But here’s why I think it was worth it -
- I picked up useful tips and tricks on reading to my baby from the professional at the book store
- M enjoyed the visual and verbal stimulation. She watched other babies, stared at the picture books, listened to the storyteller and peered curiously as she read. I bet her brain was busy making dozens of connections every time I made the trip.
- We began to form a routine – just the two of us. It became our special Mommy and baby story-time date that I began looking forward to, maybe a wee bit more than her!
- It became a habit. Going to story time and reading events at the library or book stores is something that’s as much a part of our lives as going to the park or shopping. We make time for it, no matter what.
- And because of that, reading, checking out books from the library, returning them once we finish- have all become part of M’s routine too.

So, when you start early, you actually don’t have to work too hard to raise a reader. It just happens.