A book is a portal to a world of wonder – right at your fingertips!
Different types of books will excite your child at different stages of their development. As newborns, starting with black and white books, or those in other high contrast colour combinations like red and green, will help them focus on pictures as their eyesight develops and eventually, bold and spic adventures through storybooks will get their imaginations running wild.
Here is a handy list of some types of books you could try with your little one as they grow and develop.
High contrast books are perfect for newborns as they cannot see the full spectrum of colour, or at least struggle to differentiate similar colours for the first several weeks of their lives. The greater the contrast, the easier it is for them to focus on the pictures.
Touch and feel books are great for exploring senses and learning new descriptive words too.
Board books are sturdy (so they can’t be scrunched by little hands!) and help children to learn how to hold a book and turn the pages for themselves.
Lift the flap books are interactive and let your child find hidden objects all while promoting their fine motor skills. They can also help to develop a sense of object permanence – learning that an object can still exist, even if we can’t see it!
Books with familiar objects or faces are often what little ones are drawn to when they’re first exposed to books. Babies love babies! And faces of all kinds, plus the things and animals they see around them in their everyday lives.
Books with rhymes teach children the rhythm of language and how to identify different sounds and patterns. This is especially useful as they begin to string words together into sentences.
Storybooks are fantastic for older toddlers and preschool aged children. By this age they are able to follow along with a story and understand more symbolic meaning.
At each stage you’ll discover new skills and stories together, paving the way for a lifelong love of reading.