My family is criticizing me because I haven't started to read to my 1-month-old baby. Wouldn't it be more appropriate to wait until she is older? - Being Criticized
Answer: Too many parents associate preparing their children to read with knowing the alphabet or being able to read a few words, so they wait until later on to introduce them to reading. All those people who are telling you to read to your child right now are correct.
Admittedly, your daughter is not going to understand what you are reading to her, but she is going to get the idea that being held in your lap and hearing a story is a very pleasant experience. Start reading now and keep it up, and your child is going to develop a love for listening to the printed word. At the right time, this will turn into a desire to read independently. As she gets older, it will also allow her to hear words and sentence structures that she will not hear people using when they talk to her. This gives her more language experiences before she begins to talk. Reading to children also expands their attention span.