BABY READ-ALOUD BASICS: Fun And Interactive Ways to Help Your Little One Discover the World of Words

by Caroline Blakemore

"Decades of research have proven the value of reading aloud to children, and the years between birth and age two are arguably the most crucial for language development. As a parent, it's important that you help your baby acquire the foundation needed to speak earlier, read on his or her own sooner, and benefit from an increased vocabulary and attention span. Baby Read-Aloud Basics shows you how to establish an effective daily read-aloud routine to take charge of your baby's future understanding and success. Organized around the six stages of early language development from birth to age two, the book provides simple but effective techniques selecting what to read; making reading aloud an interactive experience; knowing when and how often to read; incorporating reading in a bilingual home; and ensuring your baby gets the right amount of language from a caretaker or nanny. Filled with step-by-step instructions, scripted demonstrations, and a list of recommended titles, Baby Read-Aloud Basics gives you all the guidance and information you need to instill a lifelong love of reading and learning, and start your baby along on the road to success. "

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction

246 pages, Paperback

First published July 5, 2006

Reviews

[Shahrzad · Rating 5 out of 5]

بسیار جامع و به درد بخور

[Bird · Rating 2 out of 5]

As an elementary school teacher, I definitely agree that reading to your child is important, and that the way parents read to their young children can affect a child's enjoyment and how much they get out of the experience.

That said, I had problems with this book. The authors seem to think that one of the most important argument for reading to your child is that it will increase their future academic success. And this is certainly a valid reason. But what about the simple enjoyment of curling up with a good story? Why is that not seen as important?

The authors cite a study that purports that the number of different words a child has heard by the time they enter school is a good indicator of how successful they will ultimately be. They then use that study to claim that the main reason to read books to your child is to expand the vocabulary that children hear. Is there anything wrong with this? Of course not. My problem lies in the fact that they say that books like Dr. Seuss's "Hop on Pop" and "Green Eggs and Ham" should be read only sparingly at this age, because they only contain a small number of distinct words, thus doing nothing to increase your child's vocab.

I am so tired of the idea that everything parents do with their young children needs to be with an eye on increasing their future academic success. I'm not going to push aside these types of stories simply because they're not doing anything to actively increase my child's vocab. Why can't I just enjoy a good story with my child without it having to be about accomplishing something? I want my child to view reading as a wonderful and enjoyable pastime, not as a means to end (if I read, I'll be smarter).

The best way to raise a reader is to make reading FUN, and that means reading whatever it is your child enjoys. If you're that worried about it, open the dictionary everyday and pick out 20 new words to use when speaking with your young child. Problem solved, without needing to make your reading time about anything other than an enjoyable experience that will (hopefully!) create a lifelong love of books.

If you're looking for a great book on the topic, I highly recommend Reading with Babies, Toddlers and Twos: A Guide to Choosing, Reading and Loving Books Together.

[Lilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect shower gift. I give it at every shower of a close friend packaged with a few of the 'suggested reading' books to get the new family off and reading with their kiddos.

Based on the theory that reading to young children enhances brain development, this helps frazzled adults maximize the benefits of read-aloud time with an easy-to-follow plan.

Yay for making more readers!!!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great introduction and full of ideas for "fun and interactive ways to help your little one discover the world of words". The book went through six developmental stages and talked about the benefits of reading to babies with examples and recommended titles in each stage. I read this to get some ideas for my 'Books and Babies' storytime.

[Aspasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two former reading teachers coach you on how to read to your baby- use parentese, ask questions, etc. It even includes chapters for bilingual homes and kids with special needs. Books are recommended for each age group.
From personal experience, we read to our son when he was a preemie in the hospital, and now 15 months later he loves books, so reading to your baby does have merit!

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't wait to re-read this book when I am preggo! I think all parents and parents-to-be should read it.

[Elliefint · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the stuff directly about books was helpful and interesting, but every time the book tried to talk about anything else they made it clear they shouldn't be when they relied on gender stereotypes ('dads are better at physical play than moms, and can help out with household chores by playing with the baby while mom does the chores,' 'girls prefer fiction and boys prefer nonfiction,' statements that assumed the reader was the baby's mom), made suggestions that would be detrimental to the baby's physical development ('leave the baby in a car seat around the house'), and were mean about ADHD.

[Forough · Rating 4 out of 5]

کتاب مناسب والدین یا مربیان و تسهیل‌گران مهدهای کودک هست برای افزایش آگاهیشون در خصوص ضرورت، اثر، روش و تنوع خواندن کتاب برای نوزادان و نوپایان.
کتاب به فارسی تحت عنوان خواندن با نوزاد و نوپا توسط زهره قایینی و انتشارات موسسه پژوهشی تاریخ ادبیات کودکان چاپ شده.
کتاب در شش مرحله بازه زمانی بین صفر تا ۲۴ ماهگی کودک رو تقسیم کرده و برای هر مرحله روش های مناسب کنابخوانی رو توضیح داده.
در این میان برخی ویژگیهای هر مقطع سنی در حوزه شنیداری، کلامی، دیداری و حرکتی با آن مواجه شود نیز به اختصار توضیح داده شده است. و شیوه ی مناسب کتابخوانی و انواع و نمونه های مناسب کتاب برای آن مقطع نیز آورده شده است.

[Mandy Beyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains great ideas, examples, and resources for encouraging literacy in the youngest of children and expressing why it is so important in their language development.

[Fatemeh hamidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

کم بودن کتاب در این حوزه، اهمیت موضوع و اهمیت اطلاع والدین از این اهمیت باعث می شود که این کتاب رو حتما توصیه کنم. به خصوص که تعداد صفحات کم و متن روانی دارد.

[Christine Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nonfiction 372.4 Bla


The Six Baby Read-Aloud Stages p. 35
Stage 1: The Listener (Birth to Two Months) p. 43
Stage 2: The Observer (Two to Four Months) p. 62
Stage 3: The Cooer (Four to Eight Months) p. 79
Stage 4: The Babbler (Eight to Twelve Months) p. 95 S
Stage 5: The Word Marker (Twelve to Eighteen Months) p. 113
Stage 6: The Phrase Maker (Eighteen to Twenty-Four Months)

Decades of research have proven the value of reading aloud to children, and the years between birth and age two are arguably the most crucial for language development.

As a parent, its important that you help your baby acquire the foundation they need to speak earlier, read on their own sooner, and benefit from an increased vocabulary and attention span. Baby Read-Aloud Basics shows you how to establish an effective daily read-aloud routine to take charge of your babys future understanding and success.

Organized around the six stages of early language development from birth to age two, the book provides simple but effective techniques to help you: Make reading aloud an interactive experience from intonation and speech patterns to gesture. Select what to read aloud by looking at how much the text of the book repeats, whether it rhymes, and the types of interactive elements it incorporates. Know when to read and how often in order to create a reading routine thats both enjoyable and effective. Ensure your baby gets the right amount of language from a nanny or a caretaker.

Effectively incorporate reading in a bilingual home. Filled with step-by-step instructions, scripted demonstrations, and a list of recommended titles, Baby Read-Aloud Basics gives you all the guidance and information you need to instill a lifelong love of reading and learning, and start your baby along on the road to success.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. The authors do an excellent job of incorporating all the early literacy tips I've been trained in, but in language that is accessible to parents. Several sections to keep in mind. One gives you specific guides depending on the age of your baby, and includes some suggested titles (with reasons and expansion points). There is also some general tips for parents, a Q&A section and some examples from parents. There is a lot of discussion on multiple languages, which began to seem a bit redundant. Citations for the research used and suggestions for further resources are included at the end. I consider myself very familiar with this content but still enjoyed following along as my daughter grew and her 'reading habits' changed.

[Magda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This seemed little more than reading lists, which were almost the only part I found useful. And a nice afternoon perusing books at the children's section of a bookstore would probably take care of that. Other information seemed limited to advice that you should hold your baby so that he can see both you and the book, and much of the rest was *why* you should read to your baby. I am tired of books which seem, especially from the title, to be "how-to" books and instead try to convince you that something is a good idea ... which you already knew and is why you picked the book in the first place.

[Jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and very instructive guide for parents or soon-to-be parents on how to introduce your baby to the wonderful world of books. Highly detailed and provides great step-by-step guidance for making the reading experience as useful and engaging as possible. Backed up with research and hands-on experience that explains what's most effective at different stages of child development and why. Although the authors do seem to be giving a bit of the hard sell, for the reader who's already excited to read to their kids, this is a great primer for which books to choose, when, and how specifically to read them. Bonus: fun games/activities for increasing talking time with baby!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Lilly, who gave this as a shower gift, it has really made me a better reader to my baby. There are even photos in the book to show different positions for how to read to your baby. Reading to your newborn baby from day 1 is essential and this book helps underscore that fact. I like the description/definition of "parentese" and it helps to validate what I've been doing so far. Story time with my baby is a special time and I will keep it that way. Don't wait to read this after you've had a child; get informed while you're pregnant.

[Lee Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book and helps encourage parents to read books to their children begining from birth. Even though I started it late, it turns out that I'm doing the right things. My child loves to read as a result of reading nearly from birth. :) One thing that I found useful is that it recommends what kind of books to read for the different ages from birth to 24 month old child. Even though I didn't get to read this till midway, it's still got great tips and advise about the kind of books to read next. I'm already excited about shopping for the next used children books to read.

[Laura Stiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book! This book is divided into age groups and for each age they talk about development that is occurring, book suggestions, and even suggestion conversations & questions to discuss with each book.

Sometimes I have trouble reading simple board books to Cannon simply because I don't know what to talk about - this book gave me tools and things to think about when reading and talking with Cannon. It gave GREAT examples of how to ask questions about illustrations and help your child follow the words and note the illustrations. I think this is a FABULOUS resource!

[Ransom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned the reason for speaking in 'parentese' - as in using exaggerated pronunciation to help children understand.

I had trouble with some of the milestones mentioned. I do not believe a child of 12 months old understands only 50 words. It makes it difficult to look past that to the good information.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book full of great advice for parents on book selection, how to, baby brain development and helpful anecdotes and FAQs. I bought my own copy just so I could underline the best parts and re-read it when I start to have kids of my own.

[Danica Midlil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't say enough fabulous things about this book! They provide the research, the techniques, tips, actual booklists to use! If you are a parent, you should read this. If you are a librarian, you should read this. If you have seen a child within the last year, you should still read this!

[Mickey Eastin · Rating 3 out of 5]

not as helpful as I would have liked, but really helpful if you need ideas for good questions to engage little ones when reading to them. encourages reading to kids from birth, which is ideal. liked some of the helpful info/resources at the end.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great introduction to how to help your child develop a lifetime love of reading... well organized by age/developmental readiness - includes suggested reading lists as well.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical and informative

[Christy]

Baby Read-Aloud Basics: Fun and Interactive Ways to Help Your Little One Discover the World of Words by Caroline J. Blakemore (2006)

[Denise]

Interesting so far...nice reminder from my classes from my reading degree...

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok. It seemed mostly to be about reading lists the author had put together.

[Katy (Booksinthemiddle) Monnot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved that it included specific books for each age range. Also liked the list of activities in the back section of the book.

[Emilie]

good stuff