Birth to 1 year of age

• Play frequently with your baby. Talk, sing, recite rhymes and do finger plays. This helps your baby learn spoken language and builds a strong foundation for reading.
• Talk with your baby, making eye contact. Allow time for your baby to respond before moving on to the next idea.
• Give your baby board books or soft books to look at, chew on or bang on the table.
• Look at picture books with your baby and name the objects that he sees. Say things like "See the baby!" or "Look at the puppy!"
• Snuggle with your baby on your lap and read aloud to him. He may not understand the story, but he will love to hear the sound of your voice and the rhythm of the language.

1 to 3 years of age

• Read to your child every day. Allow your child to pick which books he wants, even if he picks the same one time and time again!
• Let your child "read" to you by naming objects in the book or making up a story.
• Make regular trips to the library with your child. Most children find it very exciting to get a library card. Make this moment something to celebrate.
• Continue to talk, sing, recite rhymes and play with your child.

3 to 5 years of age

• By 3 to 5 years of age, most children are just beginning to learn the alphabet — singing their ABCs, knowing the letters of their names. Read alphabet books with your child and point out letters as you read.
• Help your child recognize whole words as well as letters. Learning and remembering what words look like are the first steps to learning to read. Point out common, everyday things like the letters on a stop sign or the logo on a favorite restaurant.
• As you read together, ask your child to make up his own story about what is happening in the book. Keep reading a part of your child's bedtime routine.
• Some educational television shows, videos and computer programs can help your child learn to read. They can also make learning fun. But you need to be involved, too. If your child is watching Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood or Sesame Street, for example, sit and talk about what the program is trying to teach. Limit screen time to no more than one or two hours per day of educational, nonviolent programs.
• If possible, give your child a subscription to a children's magazine. Children love getting mail, and it is something they can read as well!
• Provide opportunities for your child to use written language for many purposes. Write shopping lists together. Compose letters to send to friends or relatives.

The American Academy of Pediatrics gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the Reach Out and Read program in the development of this information. Reach Out and Read is a pediatric early literacy program that makes literacy promotion and giving out books part of pediatric primary care. This program is endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. For more information about Reach Out and Read, please contact the program at:

Reach Out and Read
National Center
29 Mystic Ave
Somerville, MA 02145
617/629-8042
www.reachoutandread.org

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