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7 to 12 months:
Halfway through their first year, babies may begin to grasp some
of the words read to them, says Cosby Rogers, PhD, a professor
of human development at Virginia Polytechnic Institute
The most meaningful words are the names and things from their
everyday life -- words like "doggy," "mommy," "daddy," "milk,"
or "bottle" Books with just one object or person per age are
best; hearing you name something he recognizes reinforces your
baby's vocabulary and slowly helps him realize that
illustrations stand for real things Point to the pictures
he shows interest in And act out what you read with your
face, hands, and voice. Let the baby babble back to you in
return, suggests Dr Rogers
This "conversation" helps him learn to take turns and teaches
him about focusing on the same thing as someone else
One more tip: Because babies this age tend to be hard on their
playthings, stick mostly to board books, which can take rough
handling and even chewing. Cloth or vinyl books are good too,
though turning the pages can be trickier for a baby
13 to 18 months:
Now you can begin to introduce
books with a sentence or two per page The sillier you are
while acting out the story, the better For instance, if
you're reading about animals, make animal noises Your baby
will think it's really funny, Cowan says Sooner or later,
he will "moo" or "baa" back to you and you'll be ready to fall
off the couch laughing
Invite participation by asking
questions such as "What does the dog say?" or "Do you see the
cat?" Ask your baby to point to real-life examples of what's
pictured, ("Where's your nose?") At this age, you can show
more pictures of things your baby doesn't encounter every day
Also, at 15 to 18 months, your baby may be able to answer
questions with a word, so give her the opportunities by asking,
"What's that?" If she answers, you can boost her vocabulary by
expanding on her thought:" Yes, car That's a big green car
19 to 24 months:
Many toddlers find the familiar routine of
reading reassuring and calming The same goes for familiar
books This helps explain why, starting at about 18 months,
children may ask for the same book over and over and over -- and
why they won't let you change your reading performance by a
single "meow" or "vroom " However, this dogged repetition has a
learning benefit as well: Experts think it helps children make
sense of and then remember new words
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