Babies love to listen to the human voice. What better way than through reading! When reading to babies you may need to vary the tone of your voice, sing rhymes, bounce your knee, make funny faces, do whatever special effects you can to stimulate your baby’s interest. As you read to your baby, your child is forming an association between reading and what is most loved–your voice and closeness. Allowing babies to handle books deepens their attachment even more.
Reading aloud to children stimulates their imagination and expands their understanding of the world. It helps them develop language and listening skills and prepares them to understand the written word. When the rhythm and melody of language become a part of a child’s life, learning to read will be as natural as learning to walk and talk.
Even after children learn to read by themselves, it’s still important for you to read aloud together. By reading stories that are on their interest level, but beyond their reading level, you can stretch young readers’ understanding and motivate them to improve their skills.
Reading can enrich our minds and spirits; we can also relax and enjoy some precious moments. With your help, your children can begin a lifelong relationship with the printed word, so they grow into adults who read easily and frequently whether for spiritual feeding, information or pleasure.
You can create a hunger for reading when you advertise the joy of it, and the way to do it is to read stories and poems together, or even as a family. By reading aloud together, by being examples, and by doing other activities, parents are in a unique position to help children enjoy reading and see the value of it.

How to read to children:
1. Repetition makes stories predictable, and young readers love knowing what comes next, so pick some reading material that repeats phrases, and has short rhyming poems. When youngsters anticipate what’s coming next in a story or poem, they have a sense of mastery over reading. When children feel confident, they have courage to try to read aloud themselves.
2. Read slowly, and with a smile or a nod, let your children know you appreciate their participation. A quick glance at your child will let you know if they are still attentive.
3. As children grow more familiar with the story, pause and give them the chance to “fill the blanks.”
4. Most children who enjoy reading will eventually memorize all or parts of a book and imitate your reading, especially material that contains repetition and rhyme. Children are great mimics, they will do just what they see and how the story was delivered.