Reading to Baby Tip 2 – Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

One day in the not too distant future, your 7 or 8 yr old will declare,”But I’ve already read /seen/ played/ done that like a hundred times. I’m bored” when you suggest he go read/watch/play or do something and stop bothering you.

But for now, if your baby is just a few months old, you can relax. You won’t face that particular problem. Yet.

Babies love repetition. And when it comes to reading to your baby, you’ve got to take advantage of this fact. It not only makes things easier for you, it’s also exactly what the Doctor prescribed for your baby.

This advice may seem easy to follow, but until you’ve read Goodnight Moon or a book of Mother Goose rhymes at least 137 times, you won’t know what I’m talking about.
Seriously. Babies are crazy about repetition. ( Am I being clear enough here?)

So, how do you bring this advice into practice?

Choose books with repeated words or phrases
Take Goodnight Moon, Where’s Spot or The Very Hungry Caterpillar for example. See what I mean? When you read these books over and over again to your baby, she starts to enjoy the rhythm, the predictability of the sounds, the repetition.
Choose the same book or set of books
With very young babies, it doesn’t really matter what you read to them, as long as they get to hear your voice and some sounds. But, as they grow older, maybe around 4 months or so, they start to develop an interest in certain objects and sounds. They begin identifying familiar things. Around that time, your baby may even develop favorites. Don’t be surprised if she really likes one particular book and won’t calm down until you’ve read that over and over. This is one of the phases babies go through and for some, it lasts longer than others. Your baby may just prefer to read one book repeatedly instead of exploring new books. Just be aware of the signals your baby sends you as you read and if you think she enjoys a particular book or set of books then by all means, repeat the same books for as many days or weeks as she continues to be interested.
Repeat as you read
Read a silly phrase or a funny word twice, maybe thrice. Repeat certain lines. Or names of characters. The more you repeat, the better the chances of your baby registering what you’re reading. Don’t overdo it though. Take your cue from your baby’s expressions. If she looks bored or distracted, turn the page or move on to something new.
Rotate books
When you’ve read a book several dozen times with your baby and she seems to be losing interest, don’t discard the book right away. Keep it aside for a few weeks, explore other books and then bring it back. When you read a book with your baby after a few weeks or months, you’ll be surprised at how much she has grown and learned since the last time you read the book together. This time around she may be able to repeat some of the sounds or point to pictures or even attempt to complete the phrases, depending on how old she is, of course. I find this an amusing exercise to do with my daughter. I bring out the books we used to read when she was an infant and watching her respond to those books now – it amazes me how much she has grown in three short years.