Reading Aloud Cuddle Time

A high-contrast board book (black and white patterns or bold primary colors work best for young babies)

Choose a high-contrast board book with bold images.

Settle in comfortably with baby cradled in your arm or propped against your legs.

Hold the book about 10-12 inches from baby's face so they can focus on the images.

Point to the first picture and describe it warmly: "Look at the big circle! It's round like the moon."

Pause on each page for 10-15 seconds. Let baby look. Narrate what you notice: "You're staring right at that star!"

Turn the page slowly — the motion itself catches attention and teaches that books have flow.

If baby reaches for the book, let them touch it. Board books are made to be grabbed and mouthed.

Read for as long as baby is interested — even 2-3 pages is a wonderful session at this age.

You don't need to read the actual text. At this age, describing the pictures in your own words is just as valuable. What matters is hearing your voice connected to images.

Reading the same book over and over isn't boring for babies — it's actually how they learn. They start to recognize patterns and anticipate what comes next.

Make it a daily habit, even for 2 minutes. Babies who are read to from birth hear millions more words by kindergarten than those who aren't.

Let baby mouth the book — that's their way of exploring. Just make sure it's a sturdy board book with no loose pieces.