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Caitlyn Braunsdorf

The Importance of Reading to Our Littlest Learners

Updated: Aug 4, 2021

It’s no secret that there are so many perks to reading- no matter your age. When I was a teacher, I tried to make reading fun for my students while they were in school. I provided a comfortable environment (pillows, blankets, couches, reading corners, etc.). I let them choose what they read during independent reading. Obviously, there were times (like during guided reading) when I would pick texts appropriate for the lesson objectives, but I believed giving them ownership over what they read helped cultivate lifelong readers. If they were reading and they were enjoying it, I knew it was benefiting them and their future. I had my classroom library filled and organized. I taught them how to keep it organized so that we could continue to enjoy it.

In addition to reading at school, I always encouraged my students to read (or be read to) for at least 20 minutes per night at home. I didn’t do this just to assign “homework,” but rather because I knew the research behind the benefits of reading. I wanted my students to thrive (academically, emotionally, socially), and the single most important thing they could’ve done to help ensure that was to READ.

I would explain the following research with my students and their families every year because it’s so powerful. As I previously shared in a post about the five major areas of childhood development:


If Child A reads (or is read to) for 20 minutes per day, that’s 3,600 minutes per school year. That’s about 1.8 million words that that child is exposed to in just one school year.

If Child B reads (or is read to) for only 1 minute per day, that’s only 180 minutes per school year. That’s only about 8,000 words that that child is exposed to in one school year.


In 2019, Ohio State University came out with some new research that highlighted the importance of reading to our littlest learners. It showed that young children whose parents read them five books a day (from birth to age five) enter kindergarten having heard about 1.4 million more words than kids who were never read to. This has become known as the “million word gap.” Researchers believe it could help explain differences in long term achievement gaps (specifically vocabulary and reading development). This research is different than the controversial 1992 study that suggested the “30 million word gap.” Obviously it’s hard to say exactly how many words a child who is read to hears verses a child who is not read to hears. There are clear benefits to reading to babies and toddlers (not just school-aged kids) and that’s what I’m here to share with you!

5 Benefits to Reading to Babies/Toddlers

1. Increases cognitive development - Cognitive development is the ability to think and comprehend (or understand). It’s basically a thought process (remembering, problem solving, reasoning, decision-making). If you begin reading to your child early, it provides background knowledge (schema- or what you know about something). The more schema a child has, the more connections they are able to make. This helps make sense of the world around them (what they see, hear, smell, touch, taste, and even read (text-to-text connections)).

2. Improves language skills and vocabulary - Early reading stimulates the part of the brain that allows children to understand the meaning behind words (language). It also helps build language, literacy and social skills. A book may offer examples for children to create visual imagery which allows them to make meaning of words, situations and scenarios.

3. Prepares for future academic success - Laying a foundation for reading early on helps prepare children for future academic success. Believe it or not, simply by reading to your young child can help build the foundation for early literacy skills. These skills include:

  • Phonemic Awareness (hearing and identifying individual sounds in spoken words)

  • Phonics (connecting letters with written language)

  • Vocabulary (understanding words and their meanings)

  • Reading Comprehension (understanding a text)

  • Fluency (oral reading)

Having early exposure to all of these skills will set them up for success as they grow. You may not think they’re practicing phonics or fluency as a toddler, but they are just be hearing you! You’re constantly modeling for your child!

4. Increases concentration (and therefore discipline) - You may notice your baby or toddler having a hard time concentrating on anything for any amount of time. That’s totally normal. In fact, as I mentioned in this post, that the amount of time a typical child can maintain focus on a specific task is one to two minutes per year of age. Reading something that sparks your child’s interest can help them learn to sit still and focus for longer periods of time. I’ve noticed a huge difference in L’s ability to sit and listen to a story that she’s interested in, especially when I purposefully interact with her (“Can you find the moon?”). Increased concentration will naturally help with discipline later on.


5. Creates a special bond with your child - This one is simple. Snuggling up with your young child to read a book allows you to connect in many ways. It lets your child know you are there for them. As your little learner grows, your reading time together may become a safe place to share internal thoughts or feelings (about a book topic or about what’s going on in his or her life).


So needless to say, reading to L has always been important. We’ve made an effort to include books in her daily life. She’s naturally seemed interested, possibly because she sees books on our nightstands that we read (and we know toddlers need to do everything we do- including eat whatever is on OUR plate but not necessarily their own!). Or possibly because books are everywhere in our house!

While I provide her with opportunities to read both fiction and nonfiction, I let her take the lead and select what she wants to look at independently or have me read to her. She often picks nonfiction, which I find interesting. She loves real-life photographs. I think she sees real people, animals, places, objects, and emotions and forms text-to-self connections (which is actually a standard I used to teach in first grade- it’s amazing how young it can start!).

I would like to note that we don’t necessarily read exactly five books every single day. Sometimes we read one, and sometimes we read twenty-one! If we miss a day or two, I don’t beat myself up over it!

Here is a list of some of L’s favorite books:

  1. Baby Faces - This book absolutely captivates her. She loves seeing all the real babies and their different emotions. We like to model each face for her, which she enjoys.

  2. The Babies and Doggies Book - This is THE cutest book ever!

  3. Baby Touch and Feel: Farm - And really any of the Baby Touch and Feel books include Trucks, Tractor, Kittens.

  4. Any books that come in the Lovevery Play Kits (especially “Parts of Me” and “Max and Nana Go to the Park”)

  5. My First 100 Animals (and Words, Colors & Shapes) - This set is one she pulls out most often! The photographs are great!

  6. Good Night, Gorilla - Same as “Goodnight Moon,” she loves pointing things out when we ask her to (“Where’s the banana?” “Where’s the lion?”), which is great for developing vocabulary! She loves when the giraffe goes into the house, she finds it hilarious! Another classic for this visual identification game is Goodnight Moon.

  7. Little Blue Truck - The original is great! We’ve recently added in some of the other versions too (Springtime, Leads the Way). I love how these have valuable messages and lessons (think: “Treat others the way you want to be treated.”)!

  8. The Pout Pout Fish - This was a favorite when I taught first grade, too. I sing it to her. She loves hearing different voices and animations.

  9. Never Touch A Porcupine- This whole series is great! She loves the different textures!

  10. ANY Life-the-Flap books! We love everything by Karen Katz. Her favorite is Where Is Baby’s Belly Button? This book also helps teach body part awareness. You can make any book a Lift-the-Flap book by using sticky notes!

We are always visiting the library and bookstore to discover new books. I’m constantly looking for new suggestions. I’d love for you to share some of your little learners’ favorite books in the comments below!


Next week, I’m taking L to her first “Baby & Me” yoga class! I’m excited to report back how it goes!


Thanks for reading! I hope you continue to follow along to find (and share!) inspiration, information, and innovation! :-)

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