THE SECRET LIFE OF BOOKS
Books are a potent tool in the dad toolkit. They broaden perspective, they allow time travel, space travel, perspective taking, visual awe, perspective taking, mentalizing, empathy, and more. In the hands of Dad, they also pack an added punch in the areas of language and cognitive development.
The goals of FD46 are to 1) arm you with ways to get the most out of books and book time, and 2) touch on how Dads bring a unique flavor to the book reading department vs moms.
NOTE: While all kids take a unique path, continue to trust your instinct if you feel concern about their early language development. In the last two months of the first year, most babies will imitate sounds, respond to simple commands, interact with their environment by making a range of different sounds, will react to sounds and communications, and will say one or two words by their first birthday (though only the parents might understand the words). If concerned, click here for local speech intervention services, all US states have them. It’s no harm to explore – you’ll either find that speech therapy will be beneficial or you’ll find there is no need. The earlier a child with a potential speech delay gets support, the better the outcomes for them.
TL;DR
Books are especially powerful
in the hands of Dad.
Access the complete audio series on Soundcloud and Apple Podcasts (Coming Soon)
WHAT (4 min)
Books help with language development and literacy. Today, since the baby might be showing some genuine interest in books, it’s time to cover specific strategies for using them well to foster language development and interest/love of books.
Try This
Make Books Available and Accessible
The more accessible and in the regular field of view, the lower the barrier to engaging in it, the more it tends to get used.
This extends to the car or stroller – having books on hand to thumb through and possibly throw at your head can make things a bit more exciting for all involved.
BTW… Accessibility correlates with skill development, now and later. Learning to use the potty or ride a bike – the more exposure to it in the environment, the more comfortable they get. Potty in the bathroom months leading up to potty training or the bike being someplace the kid sees it every day vs in garage. Easy Access + Top of Mind = Ease of Use.
Involve Them
Have them open, turn pages (for board books), and close the book – or assist. Use these moments to narrate the actions. Note: I often “crack” or pre-turn the next page a little bit until they can fully turn pages themselves.
Give Choices
Pick 2-3 books for a reading session and give them the choice of which to read first.
Practice Pointing
Pointing to pictures helps to associate the word with the action. It also models the behavior of pointing which the child might then imitate. Point to words to start establishing that words/symbols have meaning.
Voice Actor FTW
Use the volume, speed, and tone of your voice to bring emphasis to characters or the dynamics of a story. Try using smaller voices for smaller characters and bigger/deeper voices for others. Use slow or fast pacing to create some suspense or surprise. Sing-song (parentese) is effective here too.
Simplify
Some books might be too long, just above their level of focus, or have become a bit boring for the reader. No need to follow the exact words – tell the story you want to tell – simplify and focus on the pictures or go completely off script.
Pause to Prime
As you read familiar books – break up the sentences or word structures with some well timed pauses. These unexpected pauses spark and reinforce brain circuits that “complete the thought”. As baby learns to speak they’ll start completing simple sentences when you break them up.
Slowing down has a similar impact. As kids approach the language explosion around 18 months you can help with language (now and then) by slowly saying the starting sound of a word and letting them fill in the word excitedly. This “start of the word” technique primes the brain circuits, making it easier for the child to access that stored word and firing it by saying it. More on this later.
Mod Your Books
Get some extra mileage from the books you have. Any book can be turned into a flap book with some post-it notes or paper/tape.
Any book can have a sensory surprise by adding in some crinkles via foil or texture via glue, etc.
Mentalize
Books help with the ability to understand that the beliefs, desires, actions, and thoughts of others are different from our own. Talk about the characters feelings, facial expressions, what might be the reason for their part in the story, or what might happen on the next page. This part of their brain will ramp up around 15 months, but the language exposure and Dad practice now has benefits. This is also where having some social/racial/gender diversity in your book collection goes a long way.
Picking Books
Books for those approaching a year are typically filled with bold pictures, are sturdy, and are interactive with rhyme, rhythm and repetition. Here is a well written article with a few thoughtful book recommendations, such as Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes.
Quick reminder that building a book selection at home doesn’t have to break the bank. Local libraries, neighborhood book swap stations (which many communities have), and book rotations with friends are a few ways to access books with some financial efficiency. Also – many books can be previewed on youtube before buying purchases – just give it a search.
WHY (1 min)
Research suggests that most dads, on average, tend to read less than moms. While this is changing, it’s useful to know that Dads bring a different and valuable approach to language via book time vs moms.
Dads read differently. Several research studies show that dads tend to use more complex language than mothers when reading with their children. Dads tend to ask more questions, use more inquisitive language, and improvise more often. Within this, the vocabulary used by fathers while interacting via reading appears to significantly affect children’s linguistic development – and may more widely (vs moms) predict language skills, cognitive skills, and book knowledge at age 3 years. It’s not a competition but… so shhhh… don’t let out our secret.
So with everything above – do books your way – even better if part of some regular routine.
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