Tips for sharing books with babies and young children

Tips for sharing books with babies and young children

What sorts of books to read with your child

As a broad rule, young children often enjoy books, songs and stories that have good rhyme, rhythm and repetition. In fact, one of the ways that children learn is through repetition and rhyme.

Choose books that are the right length for your child and that match your child’s changing interests.

For a guide to what might suit your child, you can look at the following articles:

You can also vary the books and printed materials you read. Picture books, ebooks, magazines, instruction manuals, TV guides and letters can all be interesting and engaging for your child.

If you’re interested in ebooks, look for ones without distracting games or animations. And it’s important to enjoy ebooks with your child, rather than leaving your child alone with a device.

If you want to try new books or magazines without much cost, you could arrange book swaps with friends, or with other parents at your parent group or early childhood centre.

Using your local library

Libraries have a lot to offer. Getting to know your local library can be a part of learning about and loving books.

You can borrow great children’s books for free from your local library. This means you can have plenty of books in your home for your child to explore – and it won’t cost you a cent.

Taking your child to the library and letting them choose their own books can be a fun adventure. You can talk about and plan your trip to the library with your child, and get excited together. You could ask your child, for example:

  • How many books will you choose?
  • How many books can you find by your favourite author?
  • Will you borrow books that have animals in them?
  • Do you have a favourite book you’d like to borrow again?
  • How many days will it be before we go to the library again?

Libraries also offer story times and activities for young children. Going along to these sessions is a way to help your child get familiar with the library, have fun and enjoy books and stories. Some libraries offer these sessions online.

Libraries often have audio books, dual-language books, ebooks and magazines. You can listen to audio books in the car or as a family at home together.

Just contact your local library for more information.

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