“The moon is very, very far away.” On the Moon, Read by Coleman one million times.
“On the Moon” and “No, David!” are the first two books I remember being shoved in my face to be read OVER and OVER again. I’m 100% sure I could read them in my sleep. Now Caroline, at just over 1.5 wants to read “Elmo” and ” Moo, Baa, La La La.” As much as I would LOVE to say, pleasssse choose a book that I haven’t read to you 100 times (just today) I know the benefits of reading the same book multiple times. Now, am I saying only read these books? No, you’re the gatekeeper of your child’s reading life. I like to “take turns” reading books. So, the kiddos pick one and then I get to choose one. This way they get their favorite book and I have a chance to introduce a new book to them. It’s a win-win!
5 Reasons to Reread The Book
IMPROVES FLUENCY & COMPREHENSION
Reading a text with fluency just means they are reading it accurately, quickly and with expression. By reading a book multiple times, your child will hear your fluent reading and be able to mimic your inflection and accuracy. They’ll even begin to repeat after you!
Comprehension is the ability to understand what they just read (listening to reading is reading, too!). By listening or reading a story multiple times, it allows the reader to make connections and think deeply about what they have read.
RYTHYM & RHYME
Rhythm and rhyme not only keep your child engaged in the books but it also boosts their phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness is their ability to hear, recognize and play with the sounds in spoken language and is also one of the greatest predictors of later reading success. In other words, hearing the same rhythm, patterns and rhymes will help build the foundation for your child’s reading success. This is why nursery rhymes are so important and have been around for so long!
INCREASES VOCABULARY
Children need to hear a new word SEVERAL times before they begin to use it as part of their vocabulary. That fact in itself is enough to make me want to read “On the Moon” so that my child can use words like astronaut, moon buggy, rocket and gently in their personal vocabulary. Even if your child isn’t speaking yet, they will still benefit from hearing new words over and over again. By 18 months, children add new words to their vocabulary at the astounding rate of one every 2 hours. At this age, these are all words they have heard (since they aren’t really speaking or reading words yet) so this is why READING & CONVERSATIONS are critical at this age.
BUILDS CONFIDENCE
When a child is able to read the words fluently, it builds their confidence as readers. I always make it a big deal when my kids read a word or sentence (even if they memorized the page) so they begin to see themselves as readers. The pride that beams from their face when they realize they are readers is priceless!
ENCOURAGES A LOVE OF READING
What’s better than the warm feeling of snuggling up and reading a favorite picture book with your child. They feel the same way! Reading together builds a connection and it also supports brain development and social-emotional skills they need for the rest of their lives!
So, if they ask to read Dragons Love Tacos, again….just say YES! And remember those few minutes with their favorite dragons are building a foundation and skills they will use forever!
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