"Remember that magic moment in childhood when you looked at a book or a sign or even a cereal box and realized you could read it?" -Tara Dawn Holland ; Miss America 1997
![]() |
1. Don't start unless you’re both in the right mood. Baby should be in a quiet, receptive state and you should be ready to focus only on sharing. If you're tired or preoccupied, save it for later. |
![]() |
2. Engage baby in the book. Call out baby's name and point out or tap on the pictures. Use an expressive & varied voice when you talk about the characters. Touch, cuddle & kiss baby the whole time. |
![]() |
3. Share the book with baby. Encourage baby to participate and point. Ask baby questions. Watch and listen and go with what interests him/her. |
![]() |
4. Respond to and praise baby. When baby makes cooing noises, she's trying to communicate with you. Respond back with a similar noise and add to the conversation. Show pleasure and pride with baby's small but important accomplishments. |
![]() |
5. Share a book every day. Just a few fun minutes each day -- that's all it takes. Remember: Make sure book-sharing is always FUN. If you make it boring, baby will be bored. If baby wants to play with the book -- let him. If he or she loses interest, quit for now. |
Baby Book Sharing links!
Toddler and Preschool Book Sharing Links!
Tips for Parents of Preschoolers
Tips for Parents of Kindergartners
Tips for Parents of First Graders
Tips for Parents of Second Graders
Tips for Parents of Third Graders
Studies indicate that students who don’t read or read infrequently during their summer vacation see their reading abilities stagnate or decline. 1 Here are some links to overcoming the summer slide.
Keeping Kids Off the Summer Slide
Top 5 Ways to Prevent Rusty Summer Readers
Why Summer Reading Pays Off Year-Round