Home /
Learn /
5 Amazing Benefits Of Reading Bedtime Storybooks To Your Baby

5 Amazing Benefits Of Reading Bedtime Storybooks To Your Baby

21 Apr 2023 | 5 min Read

Sudeshna Chakravarti

Author | 799 Articles

The benefits of reading bedtime storybooks to your munchkin are numerous. Reading to them helps you put them to sleep quickly, and also enhances their creative thinking capabilities from a young age.

In fact, a study conducted by the Kids Health organisation noted that when parents interact verbally with their kids, which includes reading to them, they learn a great deal more than ever thought possible.

Read on as we tell you more about the advantages of reading bedtime storybooks to babies, and the right age to start.

When Is The Right Time To Read Bedtime Storybooks For Babies?

Honestly, it is never too early to introduce your little one to the world of stories. In fact, you can make reading aloud a habit while you are pregnant, as your baby recognises your voice in the womb.

Moreover, making storytelling a part of the nighttime routine will not only help your baby calm down but also make them understand that it’s time to sleep. Hence, set aside a bit of time anywhere between 6 PM-8 PM, as after that your baby may feel too tired, and act fussy.

5 Benefits Of Reading Bedtime Storybooks To Babies

Reading storybooks can encourage your baby’s socio-emotional development and enhance their imagination / Image credit: Freepik

Bedtime stories are an excellent way to improve the interaction between you and your little one. Other benefits of reading include

It Helps Develop Communication

Reading helps in the development of your little one’s listening skills, oral communication, language recognition skills, and memory. It also helps strengthen their vocabulary and sentence structures from a young age.

Additionally, the more you read, the more it helps your baby hear and memorise words and sounds required to speak your native language by the time they turn one.

It Boosts Their Social And Emotional Development

Stories and illustrations go hand in hand, and reading to your little one helps them develop different ideas about animals, toys, and so on. You will also notice your little one using different words to express their feelings and change their body language.

It Enhances Their Cognitive Skills

King before your little one starts speaking, they absorb information about the language by listening to the stories that you read to them. Hence, it is essential to make reading a routine habit to enhance your munchkin’s cognitive development and creative capabilities.

With routine reading, you will notice that your baby is learning to turn pages and listen to new words. This development usually occurs around ten months. In addition to this, as your baby continues to grow, they will also learn the art of reading from left to right.

It Relieves Anxiety

Reading bedtime storybooks is a good way to relax your little one’s mind and body before putting them to bed. Even if they are overstimulated, story reading and listening to your voice can help soothe them and relieve their anxiety.

It Turns Into A Healthy Habit

When you make storybook reading a part of your baby’s routine, it becomes a habit and a part of their life as they grow older. Gradually, reading becomes a hobby, and they may spend hours of their toddlerhood reading illustrative books, and enhancing their creative capabilities.

Tips For Parents While Reading Bedtime Storybooks To Babies

Interact with your baby and make expressive sounds to make the most out of this activity / Image credit: Freepik

To reap the benefits of storybook reading, and foster an emotional connection with your little one, follow these tips.

Use expressive sounds and emotions while reading to boost the social and emotional development of your baby.
Read out with joy and excitement to get your munchkin connected with the book.
Make sure to cuddle while reading to make your baby feel more comfortable, warm, and safe.
Make funny animal songs and sing rhymes to make your munchkin happy and calm them.
Don’t fret about reading the same story every night. Babies learn the best from repetition.
Turn off all kinds of distractions like the radio or television.
Exaggerate the ‘oo’ sound in the moon, and keep repeating words like hush to stimulate connections in the part of your baby’s brain that handle language sounds. This part is known as the auditory cortex and helps your little one grasp new words.
Remember to interact with your baby a lot, as it is the key to making the most out of bedtime storybook reading.

What Type Of Storybooks Can You Read To Your Baby?

Any simple storybook with colourful illustrations will work wonders for your baby. Try to pick storybooks based on your little one’s current stage in life as that helps expose them to different visuals and words.

While your little one may not be able to identify the pictures in the storybooks, they may get attracted to the different patterns and contrasting colours as their vision is still developing.

Conclusion

Reading bedtime storybooks is a good practice as it helps enhance your and your little one’s interaction and connection. Moreover, this practice also helps boost their cognitive and socio-emotional development and improves their creative capabilities.

So narrate stories to your baby by using different emotions, and show them colourful visuals to enhance their overall development and growth. Make sure to have lots of eye contact with your munchkin too as it will help you foster a stronger bond with them.