Hi there! I’m Katie Dimond, mom of 2 boys, speech pathologist, and founder/director of Dimond Therapy and Tutoring Group. I am a huge advocate of reading. Reading will assist in learning to talk, help in maintaining and increasing attention span, and will inspire the imagination. Check out my tips on what and how to read to your growing child!
You can read to babies as soon as they are born. When babies are born they do not see in color for about 3 months. If you want to stimulate your newborn’s senses, think high contrast. Research indicates that high-contrast colors like black and white register most strongly in a baby’s brain and help the optic nerve to grow. There are many black and white books out there that are wonderful to read to your child and have great pictures for your child to look at.
At 3-months and up they can enjoy more types of stories and start to see in color. Flap books are great as well as simple stories and first word books. Practice pointing to the objects as you are reading. Make animal noises and car/truck noises for them. Talk in a fun captivating voice. Emphasize certain words and repeat.
As babies grow into toddlers they will be able to enjoy longer stories. Make it fun! Talk in an exaggerated voice. Vary your voice from loud to soft. Make animal and transportation noises. You can practice pointing to objects in the books as you read, talking out loud about the character’s emotions, make sound effects, and ask the child to produce words and sounds as you are reading.
My Favorite Children’s Books
Baby Books in Black and White
Hello Animals by Smitri Prasadam
Look Look by Peter Linenthal
Hello Baby Faces by Roger Priddy
3 Months and up
Baby Faces by DK Publishing
Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
Open the Barn Door by Christopher Santoro
Where is Baby’s Belly Button by Karen Katz, First Words by Bright baby
First 100 Words by Priddy Baby
From Head to Toe by Eric Carle
Polar Bear Polar Bear What Do You Hear by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle
Are You My Mother by P.D. Eastman
Chugga Chugga Choo Choo by Evan Louis
Opposites by Sandra Boynton
Elmo Says by Sarah Albee and Tom Leigh
Zoom Zoom Baby by Karen Katz
15 months and up
Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
Animal Strike at the Zoo, I’ts true! By Karma Wilson
Cordury by Don Freeman
No, David by David Shannon
The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen
Mustache Baby by Bridget Heos
Who Ate all the Cookie Dough? By Karen Beaumont
Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion and Margaret Bloy Graham
Go Dog Go by P.D. Eastman
Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri
No No Yes Yes by Leslie Patricelli
Flap Your Wings by P.D. Eastman
Fish Out of Water by Helen Palmer and P.D. Eastman
The Bugliest Bug by Carol Diggory Shields
The Best Nest by P.D. Eastman
What children’s books do you recommend?
Katie Dimond
Katie Dimond is the founder and director of Dimond Therapy and Tutoring, offering therapy services to kids from birth through high school at Bubbles Academy and in the Chicago area. Katie, mom of 2, is a dedicated, experienced, and licensed speech and language pathologist. She has been practicing since 2008 and has extensive experience treating children with speech and language delays and disorders. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Speech and hearing Science at the University of Illinois in 2006 and received her Master’s degree in Communication Science and Disorders from Saint Louis University in 2008. Katie is a certified speech and language pathologist in the state of Illinois, a member of the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association, and owns Crossroads Speech Therapy in Chicago.
