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Categories > Your Questions — General > How do you read to your less than a year old child?
 
 


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Miguel
  Posted   Reply with quote  #1 
¡Hola!
First time poster, long time reader.
My wife and I are fluent in both, Spanish and English.  I speak Spanish as a native and she does English.
We had our first baby boy, which is just about to turn 9 m/o.  We are determine to raise him bilingually… but had run into the problem of our laziness.  I guess it is easier to research the topic than apply the things learned.  lol
 I’ve read all over the Internet that reading to your child should be done as early as possible… and you should take that as an opportunity to read to him in the minority language, but how do you do that when your child is more interested in chewing the book than in looking at the pictures or even listening to you?

I mean, my baby boy is always all over the place and wants to crawl and get stuff into his mouth and trying to drive mommy and daddy crazy
 I guess I really really need to remind myself that reading is good for him… but most of the time is really hard to do it.

I don’t see the point of doing it when I see that he is even paying attention (or seems like), but I know that when he is old enough to pay attention, it would have missed many precious opportunities to talk to him in Spanish… 
(before I get scolded… I do see the point, but it’s hard to actually do it)
I feel so bad that I should read to him more but I find it so hard to do so 

what’s  your experience?
how do you keep your determination to read to your child, in any language?
at what age did your kid really start enjoying tales and stories?


New Dad at KC.




1. Country you live in: USA
2. Languages the family speaks: English and Spanish
3. Ages of the children: 9 months old
4. Language system (OPOL, ML@H or any other method): No idea… honestly, a mix between OPOL and ML@H
 
Fiona Baillie
  Posted   Reply with quote  #2 
Hi

My advice is ‘ just do it’! Choose books that are suitable for your son’s age – bright colours, textures, mirrors for your baby to see himself, sounds etc. If your son doesnt appear interested, do it for short periods, and build it into a routine, eg a quick read before nap time.

My youngest son is 15 months old, and he seems to enjoy books a lot more now, but I’ve been reading to him in Spanish since he was a few months old. He’s not particularly interested in reading books from start to finish – he flicks forwards and backwards to pages he likes, and I just go with it.

I hope this helps!

Fiona
 
Daira
  Posted   Reply with quote  #3 
Hola, Miguel! I have a daughter who is four years old and still refuses to sit for any book which doesn’t have pretty enough pictures, or worse, she doesn’t like the pictures and the way the characters are portrayed in them.  It makes a difference to her.  I don’t know that the “reading” is so very important at such a young age as yours.  Words and communication, yes.  That is not to devalue reading because, indeed, the written word can provide something more, sometimes, then we ourselves can.  The majority of the books I read to my child when she was younger, and still continue to read today, are English books which I translate on the spot, therefore, really it is still more speaking then reading, and this is only because those are the predominant books in our household, only due to geography, and because our minority language is truly a minority language in the world (Latvian). I have had great intentions of typing my translations into all of our English books, alas this probably will not take place in my lifetime. I have a beautiful book “Mazais princis” (The Little Prince) in LV, and I love this book, love the language, love the words and ideas (thus far, we’re in our first reading, though the book is old), and she doesn’t like it. No pictures. She will say, “Read me a book, just not The Little Prince.” What can I do? I know the language someone took the time to eloquently write and translate will do her more good, than one more on-the-spot mommy translation of The Witch With an Itch… so, I try to make adjustments (and barters), a short chapter or a few pages of the the prince, for me, and hopefully some sinking in for her, and some of the witch, for her. If you don’t have the attention, the power of the reading won’t be entirely evoked, in my opinion.  Chewing on books is a great place to start, however.  Chewing and listening to what daddy points at, hearing while chewing, helping baby point, feeling the book, tasting the book, sounds like you are getting there already!
 
Katie
  Posted   Reply with quote  #4 
Miguel,

I agree with the previous poster – just do it! I started reading to my hijo when he was a newborn. At first I’m sure he just stared at the pictures cross-eyed. Then he started chewing the book, or trying to grab the pages. Then he went through a stage of having to turn the page himself; that one lasted quite awhile. I always read to him right before nap & bed. So he’s a bit sleepier than normal, and it’s a way for him to wind down. Just read slowly, point to the pictures and tell him what color things are, count the number of objects, ask him where something is and then “find” it… Sooner than you think, he will start answering your questions! Just be persistent and start doing it. Reading (or being read to) is one of the best ways to learn a language, and it will increase his vocabulary and understanding immensely. I now love to read to my son, and he loves reading with me, too. When he was about your son’s age he would grab books off of the bookcase and bring them to me to read. Have fun and good luck!

Katie
 
Miguel
  Posted   Reply with quote  #5 
What great comments we have in here.
I’ll be happy to say that now that “junoir” is a year old he is paying more attention to books with pictures and likes to turn pages.  I guess I just needed to wait a little longer…
 
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