There is overwhelming evidence showing that families who make literacy and language a priority in their households produce children who are high achievers academically, and who develop healthy social relationships outside of the home. (Please see this article and this one.) Making a commitment to reading to your baby regularly is one of the best things you can do for her development.
A recent explosion of research shows conclusively what babies are capable of before birth: they can hear, remember and learn language that they are exposed to in the womb. Besides supporting your child’s language development and future achievement, reading to your baby has more immediate rewards. Babies who are read a repetitive and rhythmic story before birth are actually soothed and calmed by the same story after birth. Please check out this beautiful video of a baby hearing a story that he heard in utero. The effects of the familiar rhythmic and repetitive story on this newborn are amazing!
So, if you are an expectant mother or father, be sure to carve out time from your day for some regular “reading womb” time—a quiet routine devoted to bonding with your child and introducing her to the wonderful world of language. You will soon be rewarded for your efforts and will know that you have given your child the best possible start.
The Reading Womb 
Love what you are doing. Would love to collaborate. Please feel free to email when you can.
Thanks.
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Thank you! You were one of our inspirations! Where do we email you?
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I’d say that video is pretty convincing. Honestly, “Why not?” Why not spend a little time every day reading to your baby in utero. It can only be soothing for both of you. At the very least who wouldn’t want to be able to calm their baby in this lovely way?
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I have to say looking back at this video I had posted almost two years ago brings back sincere fond memories of the entire experience. I would encourage any mother and father to read to their unborn child as much as possible. I felt the urge to read more than my wife because I knew my unborn child heard my wife’s voice all the time even when she wasn’t reading to him. I wanted to have a strong connection and quite honestly my son and I have a strong bond. There was a time I had to travel for 7 months outside of the country and all my son saw of me was through vid chat and sometimes through the phone. I think the fact he knew my voice helped a bit to soothe him when I was away.
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Thanks so much for your comment, Dave! Your story is so moving, and it’s the inspiration for our next post — we want to focus on fathers reading to the womb. We also loved your follow-up video of Lucas who loves to laugh. What a special little guy!
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Reblogged this on The Reading Womb.
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