A great way to slow down the pace after a busy day is to establish the routine of a bedtime story.

It is never too early or too late to start reading to your child. Reading together gives both of you a quiet, cozy time with something to look at and talk about - an experience to share.

The way you read with your baby will be different than the way you read with an older child. Babies learn about books through:

• throwing
• chewing
• banging
• making sounds
• looking briefly at the pictures
• squeezing

Remembering this and choosing the right books to share together will help make your reading time a fun and special time.

Choose cloth and board books with big colorful pictures.

Try "feel", "smell" and "do" books. These books give your baby something to so while you talk about the pictures and what is happening.

Let your baby turn the pages and choose what pictures to look at and touch.

If your baby is not interested in looking at the pictures, try playing "peek-a-boo" with the book instead. Remember your baby will learn about books in a variety of ways.

If your baby only likes flipping pages, make a book where all the pages are blank except one. Then you can play a "finding" game together.

Read your baby's favorite books again and again. Repetition will help your baby learn the meaning of your words.

Emphasize key words. "Read" the pictures with feeling. Emphasizing adds special interest and fun to words, and it helps your baby pay attention to your words.

The public library is the best place to start looking for books to share with your baby. Ask the librarian for help locating some of these favorites:

• "Where's Spot" by Eric Hill
• "My Busy Day", Look Baby Books
• "What is it?" by Tana Hoban
• "A Cow Says Moo" by Sandra Boynton
• "My Day" by Rod Campbell

For more information, contact your health region office or your speech language pathologist.