What's the best time to read to your toddler?

Do you read to your infant or toddler? Your parents probably read out loud to you when you were a child, and now you probably read to your child, too. However, have you ever wondered about the benefits of reading out loud to your young child? For one, reading out loud to your infant or toddler helps him or her learn language easily. Moreover, it strengthens the bond between a parent and child. You can learn more about the benefits of reading to infants in my previous post, The Importance of Reading to Babies (and Suitable Stories for Infants).

What age is the best age to start reading to your child, and what time of the day is best for reading out loud to him or her? Well, first of all, it's really never too soon to start reading out loud to a child. I started with my son when he was two months old, changing the intonation of my voice and showing him pictures. Now we read every day. There's also no particular time to read to your child. Every parent can choose the time of the day they and their children feel comfortable to read, yet it might be best to choose a time the child is likely to be attentive. That might be before nap or bedtime. 

A research done at the University of Sussex in England suggests that reading before an afternoon nap is the most opportune time for enhancing a child's ability to learn and retain words. However, I like reading out loud to my toddler before both afternoon naps and bedtime. There's nothing wrong with that. In fact, the more reading you do the stronger the bond between you and your child will be. Also, it helps them retain words and learn language better. 

Right now we're reading Clifford's Bathtime, and he is able to point to Clifford the puppy when I ask him, "Where's Clifford?" Reading it over and over has helped him retain what the word stands for.