Is it ever too early to start reading to your child? More and more experts say that there are benefits in reading to even the youngest of children. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics released recommendations in 2014 which specifically asked pediatricians to suggest to parents of infants that they start reading to their babies.

Reading to your child starting in infancy helps gives him or her a boost when it comes to language learning and processing, which leads to greater literacy. Regular reading time also improves vocabulary; studies have shown that kids who were read to on a routine basis as infants have larger vocabularies as toddlers and preschoolers than those whose parents didn’t read to them.

According to the website for Reach Out and Read, a nonprofit organization that partners with doctors and clinic staff to give books to low-income children at medical appointments to help encourage parents to read to their children, “Reading aloud is widely recognized as the single most important activity leading to language development. Among other things, reading aloud builds word-sound awareness in children, a potent predictor of reading success.”

Children who are read to as infants are more likely to enter kindergarten ready to read. Not only does reading to your child help with their early childhood development, but it’s also a good predictor of school success later on because children who have positive experiences with books starting as newborns tend to have overall positive associations with books, reading, and learning.

When it comes to becoming familiar with language as a young child, there’s a big difference between hearing language read or spoken on television or digital media, and hearing the voice of a person you know reading to you as you sit with them. More importantly, reading is the perfect occasion for quiet bonding time between parent and child.

It’s good for your child to get used to hearing the natural tones and rhythms of language by listening to you read. This helps your baby begin to learn about different emotions as he or she hears changes in inflection. As you read regularly, you’ll notice that your baby starts responding to your voice, often with physical movements.

Looking at age appropriate picture books with simple shapes and patterns can help newborns start to focus their eyes. But by the way, if you don’t always feel like holding a book, you can try some storytelling, rather than just limiting yourself to reading. You might start by sharing some of your own favorite stories from childhood that you know by heart.

At SmartEarly Learning Centers, reading aloud to infants and young children is a natural part of our day. Along with hearing stories at school, the experts at Reach Out and Read suggest that parents read to their children for at least 20 minutes every day, too. As caring adults, a mutual love of reading is one of the best things we can share with the children in our lives.