Why Do Kids Like the Same Books Again and Again

As our families gathered this terminal Mother's Day, nosotros were swapping favorite books for little kids. That's what the women in my family beloved to do – talk books!  Husbands, on the other hand, like to photo bomb nice pictures.  I was telling my sister nigh one of our family unit favorites, Barn Yard Dance,  and how we've read it so much we can recite it from retentivity while all the same actually loving the book.  As if on cue, that photo-bombing hubby of mine walked past, heard the championship and started reciting the volume, word-for-word.  Greta came running in to see if she was missing out on something exciting. 🙂

Have any of you noticed how your kids ask for the same volume over and over over again?  My boys even at present volition do it.  When I stop a volume and there is a chorus of "again, mommy" that rings out.  I used to let myself get a little annoyed or feel the demand to switch out books more than often until I read near WHY these repeat readings matter.

Repeat Pic Book Readings Boost Vocabulary

The size of a child's vocabulary is then very of import and ane of the best means to give this a boost is through read-aloud time!  Studies have shown that vocabulary is the single greatest predictor of success when a kid starts formal learning. So much of what is taught is verbal.  The child that understands more volition naturally be able to learn more.  And so once a child can read, personal vocabulary either feeds or frustrates reading comprehension.

What I discover so amazing is that nosotros don't necessarily have to read a gazillion books to encounter this increase in vocabulary acquisition. Sometimes less is more … Study after study has shown the huge benefits in giving in to our children's pleas for "Again, Once more!" and reading that same onetime book over and over over again.

Dr Jessica Horst of Sussex University recently published a study that she conducted on 3 year olds comparing those that read a variety of books vs. those that read the same book or two over and over again for the same amount of time. While both groups saw development of new vocabulary, the latter group far exceeded the diverseness grouping in the rate of vocabulary acquisition.  Familiarity is the cardinal to learning new words.

This makes sense when we remind ourselves that they are learning a new linguistic communication. Immersion through repetition is vitally of import.

>>But what about for older kids?<<

While we know this works for toddlers and preschoolers, researchers take too institute that echo film volume readings to simple aged students increases vocabulary acquisition by 15-40 pct and that these advances are relatively permanent. This is a powerful reminder to Proceed reading to our children, even after they are reading on their ain.

Echo Picture Volume Readings Boost Comprehension

In addition to the benefits in boosting vocabulary, repeat picture book readings also heave comprehension.  Different nuances and aspects of a story will come to life every bit you read that book multiple times.  This helps our children to empathize the story at a much deeper level than if we merely glossed over information technology once.

Repeat Picture show Book Readings Boost Phonemic Awareness

Phonemic awareness is only a growing sensation of how individual sounds (phonemes) come together to brand words.  Reading aloud strengthens this and repeat readings amplifies the effect. This is an important precursor to learning how to read.

Related to phonemic awareness is the ability to articulate.  Ever heard the maxim, "well-read, simply poorly pronounced?"  Every bit we read aloud to our children they are not only exposed to new vocabulary, but they hear how those new words are pronounced.  This is helpful for people of all ages.

For our footling one's it is critical. I've always KNOWN this to be true, but getting to encounter it in action is especially powerful.  I mentioned a few months ago that my little girl had some pretty substantial speech delays.  While researching what to do, I was struck by the importance of pretend play with your child and the powerful affects of reading aloud.  As I became more than intentional to cleave out that one-on-one time to read to my littlest information technology was amazing to meet the results.  Not but was her vocabulary and comprehension growing, but likewise her phonemic awareness and ability to enunciate.  For her it has given u.s.a. an opportunity to work on her spoken language as she practices trying to say newly acquired words.

Equally the enquiry out there has been compiled a few themes emerge that characterize making the most of repeat book readings, including:

• focusing on 1 or ii books at a time

• reading each volume four or more times

• reading for 20 minutes or more if the child is still interested

• reading the book daily or every other 24-hour interval

Now of course these were characteristics plant during formal studies looking at the effect of repeat reading on vocabulary and comprehension. In an everyday habitation surround this typically happens more than organically. Every bit you lot bring skillful books into your domicile (if your kids are anything similar mine), they'll gravitate to one or ii for a time and and then cycle to something else. Mine take all gone through seasons of request for the same volume over and over once again in 1 sitting.

And so today'south lesson?

>> Read, read and read again. <<

>> Reading a few repeatedly is more effective than reading many simply once. <<

>> Take cues from your kid.  If they beg, "delight read it again," and then practice it! <<

Books My Two Twelvemonth Quondam Loves

Every bit I expect back over the last few months, I thought I'd compile some of the books that Greta has cycled through.  Ironically enough, they grouped themselves into pairs and yes, she asked for them OVER and Once more!

Her Current Fav's

Near recent gear up:

ane. Little Green ~ I discovered this gem when we were learning virtually birds several years agone.  Information technology is perfect for the younger crowd.  My kids take loved to trace the down-up-down'south and loops that this petty hummingbird makes which is a fun, playful way to commencement working on writing stroke practice.  Information technology inspires my kids to discover birds and so want to get pigment them.  I love the open-ended arroyo to art in this volume.  The words just curl off your tongue similar butter.  And finally and probably of utmost importance in the eyes of each of my children has been finding the "caterpillar" subconscious on each page.  Greta is obsessed and this little girl that has struggled and then much with articulation and saying more ane syllable words loves to play around with maxim caterpillar.  It's 1 of her clearest words considering her incentive is then high to let me know when she's found information technology.  We've read this 2-3 times every day for the last 2 weeks…

2. Hush! A Thai Lullaby ~ This book came to us via a library reading program one twelvemonth.  It was one of the gratuitous books you could selection when the program ended.  I'm then glad I picked it upwards.  This cute book follows a mom equally she walks in and effectually her hut hushing the different animals.  My kids enjoy the antics of the "sleeping baby" and the sounds each of the animals brand.  I just noticed this week (after reading information technology for the 110th time) that each animal is a unlike colour, and so it is naturally incorporating colour awareness as well.

Fix 2

1.The Story of Jonah ~ Nosotros received this giant board book (shaped like a fish) when Xander was born.  The rhyming text and interesting illustrations have captured the attending of all our children…

2. Come Aboard Noah's Ark ~ Another giant lath book that includes great rhyming text.  We love only reading the text, hunting for different animals, finding "pairs" and such.  For kids that want to accept information technology a step further, both this one and the Jonah story accept some excellent conversation starter questions on the last folio.

Set 3

1. The Seed & the Giant Saguaro~I love all of Jennifer Ward's books.  The writer lives hither in Arizona, then several of her books are on desert themes.  Her love is the great outdoors and drawing children outside through her sing-songy books.  This i is a variation of the "This is the house that Jack built" and follows a saguaro, it'southward fruit that is found by a packrat, who is followed past a rattlesnake, roadrunner, coyote, etc…  Greta was obsessed with pointing out each of the animals and loved the foreshadowing of what would appear on the adjacent page.

ii. Fourth dimension for Bed ~ While we were reading The Seed and the Behemothic Saguaro, she was likewise obsessed with this beautiful book.  She loved identifying the baby animals and their mothers.  Again, cute rhyming text, peachy exposure to relate-able vocabulary and a book that even I didn't mind reading over and over and over once more.  This stage lasted 2-three weeks as well!

Set iv

i. Little Blue Truck ~ My sis told me nigh this one.  Lo and behold, picayune girls beloved trucks nearly every bit much as little blue boys.  We read this one dorsum in January.  We both loved reading it again and once more and once more.  I wish I had had this in our collection when the boys were younger.

ii. Big Red Barn ~ I dear all things Margaret Wise Brown.  When I was looking up The Little Blue Truck, I saw that this was a recommended book.  Don't you like how effectively Amazon "convinces" you that you need another book.  Thankfully, I resisted the Amazon urge and checked information technology out from the library commencement.   Some other winner that I didn't listen reading once more and once more.  Greta loved finding the tiny butterfly flitting across each page.

After this phase was over, she had a pretty good control of her undiscriminating animals! 🙂

Prepare 5

 1. Goodnight Moon ~ Where do I even start?  I love this book.  My mom had to purchase this book twice because we loved it this much.  Even though we had the board book version, it finally bit the dust and we are on round 2 over here as well.  Greta and I accept taken to telling things in her room goodnight.  She loves to identify unlike things in each picture, hush like the mommy bunny and of course find that tiny mouse on each page. {It must be a halmark of dandy piddling kid books to have something hidden on each page to detect as that seems to exist a common thread in books we terminate upwards loving…}

ii. The Delinquent Bunny ~ I told you lot that I'thousand obsessed with Margaret Wise Brown books, right?  I love this i and then much that my nursery theme (for all four kids) has been centered effectually this book.  So naturally, I was excited when Greta fixated on this book for a season.

What books have your footling one's love to read over and over again?

Related posts:

7 Benefits of Reading Aloud
How to Cultivate Read-Aloud Time

caronfescithavers.blogspot.com

Source: https://cultivatedlearning.org/why-kids-need-us-to-read-the-same-book-over-and-over-again/

Share this post