Read with Your Baby

1. 1

   Choose a picture book with a clear theme and repeated events, then look and talk about it with your baby.

2. 2

   Act out each picture with an expressive face and sound. When a snake eats an apple, for example, open your mouth and say, “Chomp! The snake is eating an apple.”

3. 3

   Point to the snake and ask, “What is the snake doing?” If your baby needs a clue, repeat the eating sound and action.

4. 4

   Your baby may copy the sound or pat the picture. Respond: “Yes—the snake is eating the apple.”

5. 5

   On each new food page, repeat the same playful cue: “Chomp! Now it’s eating a banana.” The repeated pattern helps your baby follow the story.

What to notice

• Responds to your question with a sound or movement Emergent Literacy
• Reaches out and pats a pattern that interests them Initiative and Curiosity

Tips

• When the story ends, say softly, “The little snake is full and ready for bed. Good night!” Then give your baby a cuddle to close your reading time warmly.
• Use “Yum!” during everyday meals too: “Yum—time for cereal!” Hearing it with the action helps your baby connect the sound with eating.

Developmental benefits

• Language: Your questions and playful performance invite your baby to answer a picture with a look, movement, or sound and begin connecting the image with its meaning.