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Language Development & Communication
Promoting Emergent Literacy
WiseTip: LD-LIT-M0009-I01A

Hold your baby in your arms so they can look at the book. Read or talk about what they see in the book.

0-9 months
Interaction with child
WHY IT MATTERS

Researchers suggest that sharing books effectively with very young children may be used to establish physical closeness and support the development of meaningful social bonds and

secure attachments

Secure Attachment - The infants use the parent as a secure base. When separated, they may or may not cry, but if they do, it is because the parent is absent, and they prefer her to the stranger. When the parent returns, they actively seek contact, and their crying is reduced immediately.1

1. Berk, L. E. (2013). Child development (9th ed.). New Jersey, USA: Pearson Education.

. Children who are immersed in rich language experiences that are nurtured by significant adults will identify such experiences (reading as pleasurable) throughout life.
1, 2

  1. Kupetz, B., & Green, E. (1997). Sharing books with infants and toddlers: Facing the challenge. Young Children, 52(2), 22–27.

  2. Zeece, P. D., & Churchill, S. L. (2001). First Stories: Emergent Literacy in Infants and Toddlers. Early Childhood Education Journal, 29, 101–104. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012572812166

Reading books with babies exposes them to the sound of their parents’ voice which can be soothing to them. Additionally, reading with infants and toddlers also helps parents to be sensitive to the level of children’s language development and helps them to better pitch their language to the children’s ability and bond with them. This has effects on later literacy and learning.

3, 4

  1. Fletcher, K. L., Cross, J. R., Tanney, A. L., Schneider, M., & Finch, W. H. (2008). Predicting language development in children at risk: The effects of quality and frequency of caregiver reading. Early Education and Development, 19(1), 89-111.

  2. Kupetz, B. N. (1993). A Shared Responsibility: Nurturing Literacy in the Very Young. School Library Journal, 39(7), 28–31.