Invite an infant to sit on your lap to read a book. Introduce the book by pointing to the cover and encouraging the infant to look at the picture with you. Example: “Do you see the picture of the baby? This baby is wearing a hat. Our book is about babies. I wonder what we are going to see?” Open the book and begin looking at the pictures and reading with the infant using the following strategies:

Invite the infant to help you turn the pages of the book. Turn the pages as slowly or as quickly as the infant seems to prefer. It is not necessary to look at each page.

Point to and describe the pictured baby. Example: “Look at this baby. The baby is wearing a colorful hat—see? Here are the baby’s eyes. Do you see the baby’s nose?”

Describe what the infant is looking at. Example: “You are looking at the sleeping baby. The baby is snuggled in tight. His eyes are closed. The baby is sleeping.”

Talk about pictures of babies that seem to be of particular interest to the infant. You may wish to provide additional context or information. Example: “You are touching the baby’s hat. The hat has fancy decorations! I think this is a special hat.”

• Describe and respond to gestures and/or vocalizations. Example: “You are sticking out your tongue! You are looking at the baby with his tongue out. You are doing the same as the baby in our book. You both have your tongues out!”
• Help the infant connect book pictures to his/her own experiences and developing knowledge. Example: “This baby is wearing a furry hat. The hat is keeping the baby warm. You wear a hat when we play outside. Your hat keeps you warm.”
• Use your voice to add interest and enjoyment to the book reading.
• Recognize the infant’s participation in the book reading. Example: “We had fun reading this book together, Joshua. You looked at the pictures of the babies. You stuck your tongue out, just like the baby in the picture. You helped me turn the pages! I think you liked this book.”

Invite an infant to read a book with you. The infant may wish to sit next to you or stand close while you read. Introduce the book and invite the infant to hold the book and turn the pages. Provide assistance, if needed, by keeping all the pages in your right hand except for the page to be turned. This will help the infant to turn one page at a time. A standing infant may want to use one hand to help turn the pages.

Once the infant is comfortable and ready to read, point to the picture on the book cover. Example: “Our book is about babies. Look at the picture of the baby. This baby is wearing a hat! I wonder what babies we are going to see in our book? Would you like to help me turn the page and see?” Begin reading and looking at the pictures with the older infant using the following strategies:

• Point to and describe some features of the pictured babies. Example: “These are the baby’s eyes. Here are the baby’s ears. Look, do you see the baby’s earrings? You have earrings in your ears too, Imani!”
• Invite the infant to point to objects that you label. Example: “The baby has a mouth. Where is the baby’s mouth?”
• Provide information about picture characteristics the infant points to. Example: “You are pointing to the baby with his tongue out. Look at the baby’s tongue! The baby is making a silly face.”
• Describe and respond to gestures and/or vocalizations. Example: “You said ‘night night.’ Yes, the baby is sleeping. ‘Night night’ baby!”
• Help the infant connect picture images to his/her experiences and developing knowledge. Example: “This baby is being carried in a wrap. This wrap looks like the sling your mommy uses to carry you sometimes.”
• Follow the infant’s cues as to how quickly or slowly to turn the pages. Some pages may be skipped.
• Recognize the infant’s participation in the book reading. Example: “You helped me hold our book, Malachi. You pointed to the baby’s tongue. Then you pointed to your tongue! You turned the pages to see the next baby. We had fun reading this book together.”