Reading to infants stimulates their listening and language skills.

Holding infants and showing them the pictures helps with eye focusing.

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2. Lawhon, T., & Cobb, J. B. (2002). Routines that build emergent literacy skills in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Early Childhood Education Journal, 30(2), 113-118.

Reading with infants and toddlers also exposes them to sounds and words and helps them to differentiate different sounds in their native language. This has effects on later literacy and learning.

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3. 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 & Development, 19(1), 89–111.

Listening to music is an exercise in receptive language skills – words that children understand but may not yet be able to say. Music gives children easy access into practicing language and deciphering meaning. Children who can distinguish different sounds and phonemes are more likely to develop stronger literacy skills over time.

Studies have shown that exposing babies to bilingual environments speeds up their ability to pick up more than one language.