How Do I Make My 4-Month-Old Fall In Love With Reading?

This week I’m joining the wonderful people at Literacy Musing Mondays with a guest post where I talk about my desire to make my baby fall in love with reading. Emergent literacy skills are so important and encouraging reading at a young age is central to ensuring your child is a lifelong reader. I’ll share some insights on emergent literacy in infants and I hope you enjoy my post.

Emergent Literacy

How Do I Make My 4-Month-Old Fall In Love With Reading?

Author and mother who loves reading to her baby to encourage emergent literacy skills

As I type this, my four-month-old daughter sleeps, blissfully unaware of the world she is in, with my kindle right next to her. Two of my most favorite things in the world, right where I want them. As I look at her, I wonder if she’ll also grow up to be like her mom, always a book, or now kindle, by her side. I wonder if she too will fall in love with reading and live her happily ever after amidst pages of written words. And then a question pops up in my mind.

How do I make my four-month-old fall in love with reading?

Call me crazy but I really, really want to show her this world of books. I want her to experience the need to read just one more page before turning in for the night. I don’t just want to introduce her to this amazing world of books but I want her to feel it, love it and connect with it too.

But, what can I do to make her see reading the way I do?

You have no idea how much I have pondered on this. All through my pregnancy and every day these past four months since I first held her in my arms. And then it hit me. Maybe the answer lies in my childhood. It was what you call the eureka moment.

If I remember correctly, I was about two and a half to three years old when my dad first started telling me stories while feeding me. It was his way to get around my tantrums while eating. The tales he wove were my reward for behaving at the dinner table. As days passed, I found myself eagerly waiting for meal time with dad. Not for the food but for the next new story that he had in his repertoire. I was hungry to hear more, imagine more. I think that was the whole reason books became my best friends when I was old enough to read. I wanted to hear more stories so I started looking for them in books. And I don’t know when but reading became an inseparable part of me. So, I think I know where I have to start.

Makes stories her reward. The sooner the better.

When my daughter is old enough to understand, I’ll start with telling her stories that I grew up on. A story or two while tucking her in, one while getting her to eat her food and maybe even while driving her to the creche. The point is to make her see stories as a reward, as a gift and make her yearn for it. So, every time she does something that deserves an accolade, encouragement, I’ll offer her a story too. Maybe then she’ll grow an appetite for more which in turn will lead to reading when the time is right.

To pique her interest in reading, I need to read in front of her, with her.

One of the things that children do always is take after their parents. They have a keen sense of observation and nothing escapes their inquisitive eyes. That is something I plan to play on to get the reading bug to bite her. I never ever go to bed without reading a few pages. This is my nightly ritual. Even if I’m dog tired, I do it. So, maybe when she sees me do it every day, she’ll do the same. It could be our mother-daughter thing at the end of the day, read books together.

Introduce her to the amazing word of bookstores.

When you have kids, trips to the amusement park, the movie hall where, say, the Kung Fu Panda is being played or even the Dunkin Donuts, become a norm. These are things that kids enjoy and look forward to doing. So, I think along with these trips to bookstores, if done right, could also make introducing them to reading much easier. And to achieve just that, I plan to take my daughter to a bookstore at least once every month. It could be another of those things that we do as a mother-daughter duo, just spend hours and hours lost in aisles of books, with books. So many stories under one room. That ought to entice her, right?

It’s not that I wish to shove reading forcefully down her throat. I want to do it right because I know how wonderful it is. And it’s not just discovering stories or leading many lives by virtue of these stories that I want her to grown fond of. There’s more to it. Reading equips you better for life, I feel. And I want that for her. I want books to be her friends too and we all know that’s a lasting bond.

So, tell me, do you have any suggestions for me? How can I help my daughter discover the beauty of this magical world of books and reading?


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15 thoughts on “How Do I Make My 4-Month-Old Fall In Love With Reading?”

  1. That was an interesting read Nabanita…parents like you and me badly wish that their kids also find love in books. To some extent, observing parents' reading habits will help. But not always. My parents werent very fond of reading but we sisters are total bookworms. However, that doesnt stop us from doing out bit as parents. Lets hope it pays off as desired.

  2. You've got quite a plan there Naba. As a reading mom to twins who are indifferent readers all I can say is she will be her own person. So do your bit and then leave her to it. Don't obsess about it (like I did). She might take to it from babyhood, or get hooked after she starts putting together words or maybe even later in her tweens as peer pressure pushes her to it.

  3. Using stories as rewards is such a nice thing. Fondness for stories takes a child to the books. Yoy have a wonderful plan. Keep on doing your bit, read aloud to her everyday even at 4 months, doesn't matter if it is only 2 lines, introduce touch and feel books to her and foremost stay positive throughout the process. You and your daughter will get there.

  4. Using stories as rewards is such a nice thing. Fondness for stories takes a child to the books. Yoy have a wonderful plan. Keep on doing your bit, read aloud to her everyday even at 4 months, doesn't matter if it is only 2 lines, introduce touch and feel books to her and foremost stay positive throughout the process. You and your daughter will get there.

  5. I can understand what you mean. As the book loving mother of a 10 month baby, I too have the same questions. How do I make him fall in love with books?
    One thing i can tell you for sure. Pick up a few good bath books and board books. The ones by playgro are good. He also loves the Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. He loves the colours on each page. And his eyes light up when I say caterpillar or butterfly. Has been in love with his books since he was sitting at 6 months or maybe fell in love even before that. His books soothe him in a crowded place when I read them to him. Prople are surprised hut let me tell you that babies are very quick learners.

    So lie down with your baby, both of you on your backs and show her the books. Colourful ones. With prominent pictures. Even a little text is fine because as she grows up you will make her understand the text. Read aloud to her. Turn each page slowly. You will notice her kicking her feet in excitement, moving her hands in joy. 🙂 Just start from here.

  6. It sort of just happens, Naba. As someone who loves reading, I can relate to what you're saying. Those emotions of wanting your offspring to be another book lover and the wonderful worlds that we will only find in the cocoon of their pages. But what I've come to realise is that as parents, we can only nudge and leave little signs and progress can be unusually slow.
    But often, they get there at their own pace.

  7. We bookworms all wish that our children grow up to be avid readers. You are doing the right thing by starting early and by planning to associate reading with closeness and love. That's about all you can do, besides having a house full of books. And, when your child is older, be aware that reading takes many forms – always encourage reading, even if it is something like comic books or (appropriate) graphic novels. That would be my advice. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

  8. I think that's a WoW post and many parents should strive to inculcate reading among their kids. I think story telling during feeding and sleep time is the best to do and, drop a book on her bed. Let her play and flip pages.

  9. Wow..!! That looks so straight and sorted Naba.. I'm sure with a mom like you, your daughter will definitely end up falling in love with books 🙂

    It was really nice to read your experiences from your childhood.. brought back my childhood memories 🙂

    Cheers

  10. Hi, thanks so much for joining us this week as a guest poster on Literacy Musing Mondays. 😉 I loved reading your tips. 😉

  11. You give her the direction and she will sail on her own journey. I am sure we will read more about her in years to come 🙂

  12. The love of reading is an inherited gene and I'm sure your little girl is already dying to read the book/Kindle right next to her. Allowing your little one to flip through coloured books, crinkling up paper is a great way for them to get the "feel" of a book.

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