How Reading Helps Your Infant Develop Your infant has no clue what you're reading, but even newborns can learn from books. • Language. Babies learn language from their first days. Every new sound they hear in their native tongue creates a connection in the brain, "hard-wiring" it for language. When you read with your baby from books, you expose her to a rich range of sounds.• Attention span and listening skills. Read-aloud time improves a child’s attention span and ability to listen. Studies of reading aloud to infants have shown that babies’ attention spans stretch from three to 30 minutes after just a few read-aloud sessions.• Love of books. Babies who have strong positive experiences with books early on are more likely to turn into lifelong readers and learners.• Connection. Newborns can't see as well as adults, but they hear very well. Since eyesight takes time to develop, infants listen for the familiar voices of their caregivers and feel comforted. A calm baby can devote lots of energy to developing. << Previous: