It is wonderful to have a new baby. Having a chance to see her grow and change is a daily wonder. The part you don’t see changing, but it is, is her brain. We know now that babies’ brains grow and change very quickly. We know that helping babies includes helping develop their brains. One way to help her brain grow is to read to her.

When you read to her, you and she have a chance to cuddle. You will discover that books are fun and she enjoys them. It will help her become a good listener as well as a good reader. When you read to her as a baby, you are helping her become a good reader and a success in school.

She also will really enjoy the beautiful pictures you show her in picture books. The reading and cuddling calms her and helps her connect reading with love and contentment.

Reading to your baby can be done any place. Carry a few books along with the diapers when you go places. You are likely to attract other listeners.

Pick books that have simple words, brightly colored pictures of familiar things such as animals and other babies. Even books that introduce letters will help her. She will enjoy books that rhyme. Board books are favorites because they are sturdy. Choose books that you enjoy. Be prepared to read and reread her favorites.

She likes to be a part of the reading experience. If the dog is barking, make sure you make it sound like a dog barking. It won’t be long and she will bark when you get to that place in a book with a dog.

She won’t understand everything you read to her. It is the same with all language development. If you only started talking to her when you knew she understood exactly what you were saying, her language skills would develop very, very slowly.

Reading aloud to your baby is an activity you hopefully will continue for years to come. By the time she reaches her first birthday she will have learned all of the sounds she needs to know. The more stories you read to her, the more words she will be exposed to. She even will be better able to talk and all because you read books to her when she was a baby.

In previous articles, I have stressed the importance of just hearing words for helping make your child smarter. Hearing words that are from books increases her vocabulary and the number of words she will learn.

When you read to your child, she hears you using different emotions and expressive sounds; this fosters social and emotional development. Now, by reading early with her, you have taught her more words but you also encouraged her to look, point, touch and answer questions. All of this promotes social development and thinking skills. And, your baby improves language skills by imitating sounds, recognizing pictures and learning words.

Perhaps the most important reason to read with her is to make a strong connection with you. Your baby loves your voice and the closeness to you. Spending time reading to her shows that reading is a skill worth learning. If you or anyone reads to her often with excitement, love and closeness, she will associate books with happiness and you will have created a reader.

Cynthia Martin is the founder of the First Teacher program and director of Parenting Matters Foundation. Reach Martin at pmf@olypen.com or at 681-2250.