Reading the same book repeatedly helps your child learn!

You may get bored when your child reaches for the same book every night but “repetitive reading” can actually help a child learn new words. Some children have favorite bedtime books and always reach for them. Some parents, thinking more is always better, buy lots of different books to provide variety. Half of a group of three-year-old children were read the same book while three different books were read to the others. The children were all tested a week later. Those who heard the same story repeated several times learned 3.6 new words on average while those who heard different stories remembered only 2.6 words. Obviously a child needs some variety and some repetition. But maybe when Baby reaches for the same book every night, Mommy or Daddy could stifle their yawn and bow to Baby’s wisdom! The important thing is to keep reading. Read often. Read with enthusiasm. Point to pictures and words while reading. Ask Baby to point to the picture. And don’t forget to let your child see you read to yourself. Children learn the behaviors we model. Source:  Marilyn Heims, M,D., author of the parenting newsletter Parents Kids Right.