Infant Literacy

Anyone who has cared for an infant knows that babies have no attention span, are wiggly and impatient, and not the world's best audiences. So is it even possible to do literacy activities with them? Yes! Since I have a 13 month old son, this subject is of interest to me too. The best part is, everything you can do with a baby is pretty much free. These activities take no special training or materials, and anyone in the family can do them. (I would strongly encourage older children to help out). Here is a helpful link.This PDF from ZERO to Three is short, too the point, and has helpful information of what to pick up at the library as your baby develops.

It's important to remember that you don't have to read an entire book to a baby. You don't need to start on the first page or finish it. In fact, instead of reading the text straight up, try talking about the pictures, pointing to characters and saying what they are doing. "There is the doggy! He's chasing the cat! Our dog likes our cat, though." Let your baby handle the book herself, if she likes. And let her catch you in the act of reading her books on your own. Even if she can't understand the words or sit through the whole books, she's getting great benefits. She is learning that reading is pleasurable and fun, she is picking up vocabulary, and she is learning about the wonders of books.