BABIES (12-24 months)

Developmental Milestones

Growing a Reader

Encouraging a Love of Books

Developmental Milestones:

• Reaches for books.
• Turns pages with the help of an adult.
• Looks at or pats pctures.
• Prefers pictures of faces.
• Tries out words.
• Turns book right side up.
• Names familiar pictures.
• Attention span highly variable.

Growing a Reader:

• Let your baby play with the book if he or she wants..
• Show your baby the book; pont and speak in an animated voice.
• Holding, chewing and even throwing books indicate that a baby is comfortable with books.
• Point to and name pictures.
• Have fun and touch or hug your baby the entire time.
• Be comfortable with a baby's short attention span.
• Respond to a child's prompting to read.
• Relate the book to the child's experience.
• Pause and let your child finish the sentence.

• Read with your baby every day when he or she is well-rested and in a good mood.
• Hold your baby comfortably.
• Open the book and show how the pages work.
• Stop when your baby gets restless or upset and try again later.
• Make sharing books a special time for closeness.
• Let them see that you enjoy reading.
• Let them play with books.
• Take them to the Library.
• Make books available in your home.
• Put books within your child’s reach.
• Limit TV viewing.