Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Children's books

Join in for children's book recommendations.

Flip

Original poster

What age to start read to LO, which titles do you suggest

23 replies

Justtrying · 23/06/2011 10:18

My DD is 3 weeks old and i'm keen to start reading to her, but don't know when we should start or what books to choose. I picked up a couple in tesco yesterday, short rhyming picture books.
I am a keen reader and as a child was always reading/ at the library and i'm keen to encourage DD. However DH says she's too young at the mo. What do you think?

OP posts:

DamselInDisarray · 23/06/2011 10:22

It really isn't a competition to get a-reading to your kids as early as possible, you know.

That said, reading to her at any age will not do her any harm. If nothing else, you will be talking to her when reading aloud and that is always good. It makes absolutely no difference what you read her really. Read her what you're reading if you like.

redskyatnight · 23/06/2011 11:54

Very restless baby DS used to be soothed when I read to him. I quickly ran out of "sensible" reading material and used to read him the advertising leaflets that came through the door.

I'd suggest going to the library and looking at the board books. Then pick something you are prepared to read (some are awful).

DeWe · 23/06/2011 20:45

Read her poetry. Something with rythm and they can find it quite soothing. Dd1 used to quieten down at the start of Jabberwocky at that age. She just liked listening to my voice but she got to recognise the first few words and she'd stop and listen.

pointythings · 26/06/2011 20:29

At any age they just love the sound of your voice - we started really reading to/with them when they were about 9 months and starting to understand language. We started with picture books - photos of everyday objects so we could point things out and tell them what they were called, they enjoyed these for a long time. We started on rhyming books like 'The Gruffalo' when they were about 16-17 months, they soon learned them off by heart! By age 3-ish we were on Dr Seuss and by age 4 we were on the Worst Witch, Horrid Henry - I even read them those awful rainbow fairy and tiara club books .

Mine are now 8 and 10, I've read them all of the How to Train Your Dragon series, we're on Harry Potter 5, have read Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching series (all but the last which is a bit dark) and his Johnny series too, as well as some Diana Wynne Jones.

Reading to them is probably the single best thing you can do for their future.

sfxmum · 26/06/2011 20:37

we did from the start rhyming and repetition seemed to be welcomed
lots of nursery rhymes and the like then stories with rhyming like the Julia Donaldson ones
but only because we enjoyed it

RufousBartleby · 26/06/2011 20:41

There is evidence that reading to your baby early is beneficial - I think someones done some research called something like 'Babies Need Books'.

I think the 'Amazing Baby' books are really nice. Maybe start with 'Black and White'? Its rhyming and has lovely pictures (black and white as the title suggests!) My little one loved looking at it and started showing an interest in it probably from a few months old. Before that he had a soft cot book with black and white pictures of animals.

Whether or not you think it will improve your childs future reading habits its a really nice thing to do with your DD when she's small and she will enjoy listening to your voice and being shown pictures.

sfxmum · 26/06/2011 20:44

it is not so much the future reading habits but it certainly helps extend the vocabulary

Greythorne · 26/06/2011 20:44

I think you can read anything at that age. Read aloud whatever you happen to have to hand with a very animated voice. Otherwise you will go mad if you are constqntly reading "baby" books.

I read an evolutionary psychology book to Dd1 when she was a baby.

PacificDogwood · 26/06/2011 20:50

Aw, bless .

At 3 weeks (and waaaayyy beyond that age ) I used to read out load what I enjoyed reading because they really don't care yet.

Then moved to baby books with cardboard pages, big colourful pictures and little to no text - more to talk about them, rather than 'read'.
I too liked the 'Amazing Baby' books, but again anything colourful with things in them that even a few month old will recognise is fine (cat, dog, ball, car etc - you get the picture).

Later on I really liked the Julia Donaldson books and know several by heart. I find it not too painful to say 'come little monkey, come, come, come' for the 2.000.000th time .

FWIW, DS3 used to bat books away until he was 2. Years. Then suddenly, and quite lierally overnight he demanded bedtime stories .

Just enjoy you LO.

MissTinaTeaspoon · 26/06/2011 20:52

I happened to go to the library when dd was 2 weeks old (I had a section so couldn't drive so it was somewhere to go that I could walk to) and the librarian asked me if she wanted to join! I did so because we got a free rhymes cd but took books out for her. It was nice to cuddle up on the sofa, read the book and show her the pictures. I just stuck to anything with bright pictures at that age, like That's Not My... (which also has nice textures, good for their development) and Rod Campbell books. I also read books like Bear Hunt to my bump before she was born because it's quite singsongy and it's good for babies to hear their parents' voices.

PelvicFloor0fSteel · 26/06/2011 20:52

DS1 didn't really take much notice of books until he got Dear Zoo for his 1st birthday. I remember wondering if he'd ever get it because the only interest he took in books before that was chewing them or using them as skateboards, DP and I both love books and we worried we'd produced a non-booklover . I think we just expected too much, too soon. Once he got going he loved anything with flaps, Maisy books (Lucy Cousins), rhyming stuff, Richard Scarry books and anything with cars.
DS2 has been listening to anything we read DS1 since birth, generally more interested in chewing still (he's 5 months now).

I don't think it's ever too young to start but it's probably more about the sound of your voice than the books at first.

sfxmum · 26/06/2011 20:54

reading and reciting Peepo when hormonal leads to weeping

PelvicFloor0fSteel · 26/06/2011 20:56

If you're going to the library do ask if they do bounce and rhyme sessions there, I started taking DS1 when he was about 10 weeks and he loved it even then, great fun.

EightiesChick · 26/06/2011 21:05

Read right from the start! Not necessarily to make them into early readers (though I also want to do this and am open about it) but to soothe them, entertain them, and because it's easy, portable and cheap (library books).

Good books IMO
Any Julia Donaldson
Any Lucy Cousins (Maisy, Hooray for Fish)
Wibbly Pig books
That's Not My...

but really anything will do. For your own sanity during the first few months you could read one of your own books out, then both of you are entertained.

pointythings · 26/06/2011 21:55

FWIW mine were both early readers so it worked for them. The downside is keeping them in enough books - it's expensive!

Graciescotland · 26/06/2011 22:01

I used to read Dr Seuss to DS when he was that age, he seemed to like it but I assume 'twas just the sound of my voice

UnSerpentQuiCourt · 27/06/2011 22:26

Please someone tell me that their child wasn't bothered at four but later loved reading ... DD is really rarely interested if she can play an imaginary game or make me invent a story instead. She just doesn't seem to be interested in stories fixed in books. Although she did love Slinki Malinki for at least 6 months, every night. And Goodnight Moon.

kalo12 · 27/06/2011 22:28

baby touch rhyme book

mixedmamameansbusiness · 09/07/2011 20:18

I had never thought of reading what I like . DS3 just gets what his brothers get (he is 16 weeks). However when the older ones are not around thanks to you guys DS3 will be getting a lecture on the French Revolution.

jenniec79 · 11/07/2011 00:50

Dad read huge swathes of The Lord Of The Rings to me as a baby (he wanted to read it, was holding the baby, so read aloud) It's still one of my all time favourites.

A friend's parents read record lyrics to her.

Ladybird book of nursery rhymes might be a little more traditional :)

Clary · 11/07/2011 01:14

Yeah I used to read to all mine from this age and agree it doesn't matter what - the sound of your voic eis enough.

But for later on, some of my fave toddler books are:
Each Peach Pear Plum
Peepo (blub at end! even if not hormonal sfxmum!)
Dear Zoo
Hairy Maclairy
Dig Dig Digging (actually my DC liked that more than I did )
Gruffalo and all Julia Donaldson's other books
Where's My Teddy
Wibbly Pig

Rebecca41 · 15/07/2011 19:18

Shirley Hughes - all classics, lovely pictures and words, my favourites.

HipHopOpotomus · 15/07/2011 19:24

I started reading to DD as soon as I started doing a bedtime routine at about 3 months. Initially I read. dr Seuss books as I loved reading them out loud esp Fox in Socks. Sometimes I'd just read my book out loud. She loves books and we read every night (now 3.5)

Flip