Question: When to start?

"At what age would you start reading to your child? "

Brett Answers:

Hi,
It's NEVER too early to start reading to your child!  Any reading session, anytime will help your child's learning and starting early really helps makes things easier later on.

For a great resource, we highly recommend Mem Fox's Reading Magic.  It's available in book and DVD format and the DVD is currently on special at the Huggies Bookclub!  It's well worth checking out for learning about how and why reading to your child is so important.

Good Luck!
Brett

Question: Do you have any advice on strategies to stop her wanting to play with the book?

"Hi Brett,
I've been reading to my new daughter since she was born. She has always really liked looking at the pictures and following the pages turn. But since she turned four months and has gotten better at grabbing things, she has started insisting that she get to hold the book. If I try to keep reading and turning the pages, she gets frustrated and cries until I give her the book to play with/chew on.

So I've just been reading a couple of pages then giving her the book to play with as I know it's important to keep reading fun. But I would like to be able to read whole stories to her as I really enjoy it. Plus I've heard that you should complete the stories so that they learn how to read through books start to finish and to get the full impact of the story and rhymes.

Do you have any advice on strategies to stop her wanting to play with the book? Or is it just a phase I have to wait through?

Thanks very much.
Regards, Robin "

Brett Answers:

Hi Robin,
I wouldn't stress too much. It sounds like it's just a period when you're daughter's showing an interest in books, but going through that "mine" phase at the same time.

I'd suggest you keep trying, but don't push too hard.  You don't want to make reading sessions a burden!  I'm confident that in her own time your daughter will discover the delights of sitting still and listening to the story.

Good Luck!
Brett

Question: My sons are very interested in what the new baby looks like and what it can do etc. Any books you can recommend?

"my sons are avid 'readers' and love their library we've set up in our lounge.  they are 4 and 2.5 years old.  a new sibling is due in december. what do you recommend for welcoming a new baby- we have jeanette rowe my new baby.  i have heard other titles mentioned but you may be abke to retreive them for me??  i would like some non fiction or factual texts too not just fiction,  my sons are very interested in what the baby looks like and what it can do etc. and love the ultrasounds!

i also would like to extend my eldest.  we always share the reading- using sentence completion cues, rhyme clues and play describing games with the pictures etc, take turns to comment about it all and ask questions too or give each other clues. a real springboard for sharing the wonder of books. i am passionate about all this and my hubby is wonderful at setting up great sharing times (and balancing the needs of the 2).  both boys love to find their letters (names) and identify any other letters in prnit.  i am just encouraging this and prasiing it but not pushing it.  with school next year when do i set up any focus on print? he can rhyme and is just exploring print and sounds now.
cheers kate "

Brett Answers:

Hi Kate,
The Huggies Bookclub has a great range of books for talking about a new baby in the family.  There's a 'quick search' link at the bottom right corner of the Bookclub homepage.  We highly recommend them all.

It's a wonderful thing to watch a child learning and discovering the world of books and it really does sound like you're on the right track.  It sounds like your boys are both learning in their own time, so there's no real need to push too hard!

All the best,
Brett