Should you read to a baby who can't understand words yet?

Yes, and earlier than most of us think. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that families read aloud with their children from birth, and UNICEF suggests that around 5-10 minutes a day is a good amount in infancy. The point is not to teach a baby to read. The point is the time, the voice and the back-and-forth around the book.

As a dad, I wanted to know whether this was real advice or just a nice idea that gets repeated on social media. So I went to the sources. This is what I found, written for other working parents who have the same question and not much time. It is not medical advice. If you have concerns about your child’s development, talk to your pediatrician.

What pediatricians actually recommend

In 2024 the AAP updated its policy statement on literacy promotion, published in the journal Pediatrics. It asks pediatricians to encourage shared reading starting at birth and continuing through at least kindergarten, and to give families guidance and books during regular checkups.

The AAP describes reading aloud with newborns and young children as a chance to build a loving, nurturing relationship during a critical period of brain development. It links shared reading with support for language, literacy, social-emotional and cognitive development, and with better readiness for school.

UNICEF makes a similar case in plainer words: reading aloud helps children bond with their parents, builds early language skills, and grows the vocabulary that matters later on.

What struck me is that none of these sources talk about flashcards, apps or getting ahead. They talk about a parent, a child and a book.

Why it works even before they understand

A young baby does not follow a plot. That is fine, because the story is not really the point at this stage. What a baby gets is your voice, your face, rhythm and rhyme, and the experience of you paying attention to them.

The AAP’s practical guidance for parents reflects this. For the first months it suggests holding the baby on your lap, making eye contact, using different voices and sounds, and pointing at pictures. Books with simple rhymes and bold pictures work well. Later, babies start reaching for pages, pointing at things and asking for the same book again and again. That repetition is normal and, according to the AAP, something babies love.

Print books still matter

This was the part I found most useful. The AAP says print books with colorful pictures and rich language are best, and it notes that digital books do not create the same kind of parent-child interaction. If you do use a screen or an audiobook, the advice is to stay involved and talk about the story together, not hand over the device.

For someone like me who spends a lot of time building things with technology, that is a good reminder. Some things should stay simple.

How to do it in 10 minutes a day

You do not need a perfect routine. A few minutes that actually happen are better than a long session you keep postponing. Here is what the sources suggest, translated into things a tired parent can do after work:

• Attach it to something that already happens. The AAP suggests a few quiet minutes with books at naptime or bedtime. UNICEF also mentions bedtime or a snack as natural moments.
• Keep it short. UNICEF suggests 5-10 minutes a day in infancy, growing to 15-20 minutes as children get older. Babies’ attention lasts a few minutes at a time anyway.
• You don’t have to finish the book. The AAP says to follow your baby’s lead. If they want a different page, go there. You never need to read the whole story.
• Talk, don’t just read. Name what they are looking at. Ask questions, even before they can answer. Make the animal sounds.
• Stop when they’re done. The AAP’s phrase is that shared reading should be “fun, not forced.” If your baby turns away or gets fussy, close the book and try again tomorrow.
• Read the same book again. Repetition is how they learn. It is fine if you are bored of it before they are.
• Any language works. The AAP supports books in each family’s preferred language. Read in the language you speak most naturally at home.

What I’m taking from this

The research makes this easier, not harder. It does not ask for expensive materials or a teaching plan. It asks for a few minutes of attention, most days, with a book in your hands and your phone somewhere else.

For a working parent, that is one of the rare pieces of advice that fits into a real evening. I am trying to treat those minutes as protected time, the same way I would protect an important meeting.

Sources

• American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org: Beyond literacy, shared reading starting in infancy offers lifelong benefits (2024)
• Klass P, Miller-Fitzwater A, High PC. Literacy Promotion: An Essential Component of Primary Care Pediatric Practice. Pediatrics, 2024 (summary via Reading Rockets)
• American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org: How to share books with your baby
• UNICEF Armenia: Why read aloud with your child?