Does my Baby Know I'm Reading to Her?
Reader's Digest India|January 2023
We asked certified infant and child sleep specialist, Himani Dalmia, for answers
Ishani Nandi
Does my Baby Know I'm Reading to Her?

How exactly does reading benefit kids?

Reading to babies and toddlers is often referred to as a 'keystone habit, that elite category of practices that kick off a positive effect in multiple areas of our lives. Not only does reading lay a solid foundation for the parent-child bond, it also helps a child become smarter, kinder. It stimulates parts of the brain that process language. Just 15 minutes a day (and there is no maximum) of this joyous, fulfilling activity offers magical gifts to our children, from higher cognition and better attention spans to greater creativity and the ability to form deeper relationships.

Books help to foster social and communication skills and develop both emotional empathy (experiencing the reactions of another) and cognitive empathy or theory of mind (adapting to another's viewpoint). Reading together builds their ability to practise 'joint attention, an important milestone where the child shares focus with someone else, and participates in a collective experience.

Finally, stories are powerful therapeutic tools that can help children process events like starting school or the arrival of a new sibling or the death of a loved one. They give children an emotional vocabulary with which to make sense of their big feelings, make them feel 'seen' and validated, and provide an opportunity to talk about these subjects with their parents. Not to mention they are a far more effective alternative to screentime for toddlers!

What's the right age I can start reading aloud to my baby?

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM READER'S DIGEST INDIAView all
From the King's Table to Street Food: A Food History of Delhi
Reader's Digest India

From the King's Table to Street Food: A Food History of Delhi

Pushpesh Pant, one of India’s pre-eminent food writers, is back with a comprehensive food history of the capital.

time-read
1 min  |
October 2024
Who Wants Coffee?
Reader's Digest India

Who Wants Coffee?

It’s bitter—but beloved around the world

time-read
2 mins  |
October 2024
Prevent The Pain Of Shingles
Reader's Digest India

Prevent The Pain Of Shingles

You don't have to suffer, as long as you take two important steps

time-read
3 mins  |
October 2024
The Best And Worst Diets For Your Heart
Reader's Digest India

The Best And Worst Diets For Your Heart

Dozens of diets are touted as ‘best’, but it’s easy to lose track of the fact that healthy eating needs to be about overall wellness, not just weight loss.

time-read
1 min  |
October 2024
ME & MY SHELF
Reader's Digest India

ME & MY SHELF

Journalist Sopan Joshi has worked in a science and environment framework for nearly three decades. His book Mangifera indica: A Biography of the Mango (Aleph Book Company) synthesizes the sensory appeal of India's favourite fruit with its elaborate cultural roots and natural history. He writes in English and Hindi.

time-read
3 mins  |
October 2024
SWITCHED
Reader's Digest India

SWITCHED

In 1962, nurses at a small Canadian hospital sent home two women with the wrong babies. Then, 50 years later, their children discovered the shocking mistake.

time-read
10+ mins  |
October 2024
ECHOES OF THE PAST
Reader's Digest India

ECHOES OF THE PAST

A VISIT TO THE ANCIENT BARABAR CAVES IN BIHAR REVEALS A SURPRISING CONNECTION TO A LITERARY CLASSIC

time-read
6 mins  |
October 2024
Fathers of the Bride
Reader's Digest India

Fathers of the Bride

A young woman finds a unique way to honour the many men who helped her survive her childhood

time-read
8 mins  |
October 2024
Fiction's Foresight
Reader's Digest India

Fiction's Foresight

British-Bangladeshi author Manzu Islam's works reveal startling parallels to recent political upheavals in Bangladesh, begging the question: Besides helping us make sense of our world, can stories also offer a glimpse into the future?

time-read
7 mins  |
October 2024
It Happens ONLY IN INDIA
Reader's Digest India

It Happens ONLY IN INDIA

The Divine Defence Picture this: A tractor in Rajasthan‘s Banswara district,a group of loan agents closing in to seize it and the defaulting farmer and his family standing by.

time-read
2 mins  |
October 2024