Read and Discuss Stories

Reading aloud helps babies turn into confident thinkers. Research has shown that the amount of time spent reading and how you read and talk with your child can predict a child's later thinking and language development. Reading aloud to them from birth, while pointing to the pictures and discussing the story, is one of the most important things you can do to prepare a child for success in school.

0-1 years

Reading stories helps improve a baby's language skills. When your baby hears words, it creates a rich network of words in their brain. Research shows that children who are read to and talked to frequently by their parents know more words by age 2 than those who are not. Furthermore, children exposed to reading during their early years are more likely to develop strong reading skills when the time comes.

  • When you read to your baby, you use various emotions and expressive sounds to help their social and emotional development. It encourages your baby to engage in activities such as looking, pointing, touching, and answering questions, which, in turn, helps with their social and thinking skills. Additionally, your baby improves their language skills by mimicking sounds, identifying pictures, and learning new words.

  • Reading aloud to your baby creates a connection between what your baby loves the most: your voice, closeness to them, and books. Spending time reading to your baby sends a message that reading is important and that books are associated with happiness, closeness and excitement.

  • Board books with cardboard pages are made for infants. They don't break, so babies can play with them. Choose books that are short and have simple, bright pictures. They might want to hold the book, turn the pages, or pat the pictures. They might even chew on the book. It's all part of learning!

  • It's not essential to read all—or any—of the words. Point to the pictures and describe the colours, shapes and what the characters are doing. Follow their lead. When they start to lose interest, try another book or stop. Short periods of reading will work best.

  • With babies, reading is all about enjoying and talking about the pictures. Babies especially like to look at pictures of other babies' faces or brightly coloured objects and animals. They are learning to connect your words with the images on the page.

1-2 years

Reading to your baby or child is a shared activity you can enjoy for many years. Not only is it enjoyable, but it is also vital for their brain development. Reading and talking about the story helps your child learn about communication, introduces them to concepts such as numbers, letters, colours, and shapes, develops their listening, memory, and vocabulary skills, and provides them with information about the world around them.

  • Try to read together every day. Before bed is a great time to read, but choose a time of day that works best for your family.

  • Before you open the book, check out the cover, read the title, and look at the pictures. Ask your child what they think the story is about.

  • Your toddler may want to turn the page before you have finished reading it; that's okay. At this age, it's about making reading fun, not reading every word. Change your voice and try different voices for different characters.

  • When you connect what you read to a child's life, the book becomes more meaningful to them. Make personal connections to the stories you read, for example, "Do you remember when we saw the fire truck? How did it sound? It was loud! Remember?" Help them follow along. Point to the words and pictures. Talk about the colours, shapes, and what the characters are doing.

  • When reading their favourite book, invite them to do the storytelling. Let them hold the book, and remember to be a good listener.

2-3 years

Reading and discussing stories with your child can positively impact their development in several ways. It promotes brain development and imagination, helps your child learn about language and emotions, and sets the foundation for learning to read. Reading is also an excellent way to bond with your child and spend quality time together. Finding a book you and your child enjoy is all you need. You can borrow books from your local library for free and make choosing books together a fun activity.

  • "What do you think will happen next?" or "Why do you think they are happy?" Respond to your child's comments and questions. Show your interest in their ideas.

  • Toddlers learn through repetition, so it is normal when they want to read a favourite book over and over. Notice how proud they feel when they master the story, but try for variety because new books offer new things to see and learn.

  • Your emotions affect how your child feels about a situation. They may also become more interested if you are interested in something. When you read to them, make a special effort to show how interesting the story is to you. Use your voice and facial expressions to show your enjoyment. Say things like, "I really want to know what happens on the next page!”

  • Recognising letters is a big step on the path to reading. They won't be able to write letters yet, but they can start recognising a few, especially the ones in their name. Help a child learn the letters in their name by writing them on a piece of paper. Talk about each letter and its shape. Give them some pens to decorate the page. Hang the finished product in their bedroom or the fridge and continue to talk about it.

  • Try to look for books that match the child's interests such as construction vehicles, characters or topics that they can relate to in their everyday life. Funny and silly books are great options as they can grab the child's attention and make reading a fun experience.

See our video below for more tips on how to read and discuss stories with your child.

Maree

Holding your child in your lap, whilst pointing at pictures and talking about the story helps your child to feel reassured and comforted. Pointing and making connections to the child’s own experiences creates special interest and encourages them to engage with the story.

Kate

Try to not be too serious when you are reading with your child. They love to sit with you and see the pages turn. Talking about what you see, pointing at the pictures, making noises and having fun together makes the most difference for early reading.