Why and how to share stories with your baby


Learning to communicate is one of the most important skills new babies need to acquire. Liz Attenborough, who manages the Talk to Your Baby campaign at the National Literacy Trust, explains how sharing books can play a crucial role in developing communication skills. She also suggests practical ways to go about it.


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abies learn to recognise their mother’s voice in the womb. (The father’s voice can also be recognised from time in the womb.) After the birth it’s a huge comfort for newborn babies to


hear their mother’s familiar voice as they get to know the person attached to the voice. The importance of early eye contact, gentle talking and listening to a baby cannot be over emphasised – they are the best possible way for mother and baby to bond with each other. Young children learn by imitation and they will develop their communication skills well if their parents communicate with them with care.


Why is sharing books important?


Babies are born to be sociable, coming into the world with a willingness to communicate and learn. Their experiences in their early years shape their future social, communication and learning skills. Sharing books together can be a great way to help babies during this period of discovery.


We, as adults, need stories in our lives. The stories we read and hear help us to make sense of our lives. And so it is for babies. Language is at the root of human communication, something we need to master not only for our learning but also for our social and emotional well-being. We need language in order to think. And what better way to learn language than through books and stories, shared lovingly with a trusted adult?


What if your baby can’t talk yet?


Sharing a story is a simple way to talk to a baby before they have any spoken language of their own. If you aren’t sure what to say to your baby, or think that your young child will not understand what you say, books can provide


an easy way to start communicating. Books use the power of words to connect adult to child, and to make associations between what happens on the page and what is happening all around. Through the rhythms of a picture book story or nursery rhyme, and the repetition of that story and pictures, words with meaning begin to emerge, and a new young mind grows.


Are their other reasons to share books with babies?


Yes! Seventy-five per cent of brain development occurs in the first two years of life and babies need stimulation and attention to make the most of this opportunity. This is not as daunting as it may first sound, as stimulation comes from simple, everyday activities such as talking, listening, singing and sharing books together.


Babies need a language-rich home to help them develop in many important ways. You can create this language- rich environment by talking to your baby. Being talked to helps babies learn to listen, and gives them the


B f K B A S I C S


Helping your child 8 Books for Keeps No.184 September 2010


Rufus and Max Ravenscroft share a story.


Photo: Vanessa Ravenscroft


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