

Reading to a baby is about exposing them to different words and patterns than what you get from normal speech.
If you want my advice, talk to them constantly as if you are the narrator, and smile and make eye contact at every opportunity.
Not sure if this applies before birth. It couldnt hurt, so I suggest reading whatever you like to read. And make sure its something that the mother wants to hear, assuming you arent her.
Im 100% sure it makes a difference.
Both of my kids were communicating with body language by like 3 weeks. For example I could say “do you want a bottle?” And they would get all excited, or not, if they werent hungry. And I noticed with both kids the first thing they figured out was how to return a smile. Strangers get a kick out of it when an infant looks them in the eye and smiles.
Part of this is that you have to pay attention to them and respond. The feedback is what helps them learn fast, which they cant get from TV.
(I dint have anything anything against TV, just saying its not a substitute for human interaction)
They are 4 and 7 now and both have always had a surprisingly large vocabulary and speak clearly for their age.