🛋️ Why Reading Matters Before They Even Understand the Words

When my baby was 2 months old, I remember thinking, Is reading really doing anything?

He’d stare at the pages, drool a little, maybe blink once. But I kept reading. And little by little, he started looking longer… tracking the pictures… cooing at animal sounds… smacking the pages like he knew when to turn.

Now he is 16 months and the  “ba” that he would say for sheep turned into  “ball” or “bottle” or that “moo” for a cow has turned into “music”. 

That’s when it hit me:

Books aren’t just about learning to read—they’re about learning to think, feel, and connect. 

Here’s what to look for at each stage:

📘 0–6 Months:

Your baby’s vision is still developing, so contrast is king.

• Use: High-contrast black and white books (and bold red is great too!)
  

• Skill-building: Visual tracking, contrast sensitivity, calming routines
  

• Pro tip: Prop the book up during tummy time—they’ll lift their head to look

📕 6–12 Months:

Now your little one is ready for more textures, sounds, and surprises.

• Use: Touch-and-feel books, books with animal sounds or flaps
  

• Skill-building: Tactile exploration, object permanence, emerging speech
  

• Pro tip: Pause at least 10 seconds before saying “moo” and let them try to imitate the sound

📗 12 Months and Up:

They’re on the move, so pick books that keep up with their energy!

• Use: Lift-the-flap books, interactive board books with simple stories
  

• Skill-building: object identification, fine motor (page turning), vocabulary
  

Pro tip: Let them “read” to you by pointing and babbling—that’s pre-literacy at work