Newborn to Read

Newborn to Read is a collaborative project between the staff at Manatee Memorial Hospital, Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, and the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County. Facilitated by Dr. Audrey Davis, Neonatologist and Medical Director of Neonatology, the project is designed to encourage new parents to read to their children from the beginning. The ELC provides a book and a parent tip sheet to every newborn at Manatee Memorial Hospital and Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.

By reading aloud to an infant, you help build a rich network of words in a baby's brain. Children whose parents talk and read to them often know more words by age two than children who have not been read to. Additionally, children who are read to during their early years are more likely to become successful readers as they progress through school. Reading books with an infant has many other benefits, including parent-child bonding, social-emotional learning, and establishing routines.

Reading Tips

Early literacy is critical to children’s ability to learn, work, and play with others. Language and literacy development involves how children learn to communicate with sounds, words, and gestures, and eventually, how they learn to read and write. Children develop language and literacy through their various experiences, playing with materials, and interactions with others. Beginning early is important because the roots of language develop in a baby’s brain even before they can talk! The more words your baby hears over time, the more words they learn.

Read a book or tell a story to your baby every day – in whatever language you feel most comfortable.	Cuddle with your baby as you share a book to create warmth and engagement Make frequent eye-contact
Your baby enjoys your company and the sound of your voice, so use rhythm, varied tones, and inflections of your voice while reading.	Read with varying voice levels and pitches to keep their attention Use facial expressions and gestures along with the story Look at and talk about the pictures in detail
Babies explore the world through their senses, so touching, grabbing, and mouthing books is a typical part of development.	Select books dependent upon the time of day: Calm – soft stories before sleep Silly – upbeat books when your child is rested Be flexible; take a break if your child is unhappy or fussy Choose chew-able or textured books for additional stimulation
Making reading a regular part of your routine will teach your baby that reading is something to be enjoyed, and that attitude will take them through school and into adulthood.	Make books easily accessible to children with supervision Pick board books, cloth books, books with faces, and nursery rhymes