Read, Read & Read Again: Re-reading Leads to Pre-reading Skills

Have your children ever asked you to read the same book over and over again?  (You might even go a little green.)

Although the thought of reading the same book for the umpteenth time may not be your idea of fun, repetitive reading is so beneficial to your children.  It is actually a step in the right direction toward pre-reading skills.

• When your child immediately asks you to read the book you just finished again, do it with a smile!  They are enjoying the characters and the story.  They are beginning to memorize the story.  Have you ever tried to skip pages to get it over with because you’re tired, and your child knows?  We’ve all been there!  They begin to recognize words and might even recite some of the words from favorite books that have been re-read.  Some children will begin to finish the words on the page as their confidence grows.
• Reading books aloud again and again helps children learn voice and expression.  Parents model how words work.  Sometimes there is a pattern to the story and children begin to notice rhyme and how words flow.  Knowing how to read out loud is enhanced the more you read a story.  Kids can learn to pause, and change the tone in their voice depending on what is going on in their book.  They model reading aloud to younger siblings or dolls or even you, before they are actually reading the words, because they make up and tell their own story based on the pictures, which is yet another pre-reading skill.
• When children hear books over and over again they begin to comprehend different things and they remember more.  They might ask questions while reading a story.  Your child’s confidence in word recognition and storytelling will grow.  Re-reading favorite books puts your child in their comfort zone.  It becomes part of their regular routine and encourages their love of books.

Remember, the next time your child asks you to re-read a book, you are:

• Modeling reading
• Spending quality time with your child
• Showing them the importance of books

They are:

• Learning to read aloud
• Gaining pre-reading skills,
• Learning and enjoying the experience! You are feeding their love for books!

If you are tired of re-reading the books you have a home, take advantage of your free public library on a weekly basis and bring home a pile of new books to read and broaden the variety of what you will inevitably read and re-read!  Enjoy reading and re-reading with your children, they won’t be little forever.

Guest blogger (Miss Amy) Hand is Head Children’s and Youth Services Librarian at Camden Public Library.