Repeated Readings & Literacy Environments

When your child gets older, it will become more important for him/her to perform repeated readings.  Repeated readings increase a child's fluency, increases their speed and accuracy, and their comprehension of the text.  When your child enters school you should see or hear of situations in which your child is asked to read a text several times either alone, with you or with a class partner.  

Not only can you expect your child to perform repeated readings at school, but your child expects you to perform them at home.  From an early age children need to hear stories in books over and over.  It builds their awareness of what it "sounds" like to read aloud, increases word knowledge/vocabulary and their comprehension of the text being read to them.  Repeated readings at home with young children help them also build a relationship to books and stories.  In the article found here, on the importance of broadening your child's repertoire, you will discover that it is not only important to read to them books you think are important or ones they like but also, it's important to introduce your child to books they may never have chosen on their own.  Therefore, it is important to perform repeating readings for your child with those books as well.

At our home, books are made easily accessible for night time reading.

A good way to keep repeated readings simple is to have a designated area to keep books that you would like to repeatedly read to your child for a short time.  Below is an example in my child's room where I keep the books "we" are reading for the week.  These same books are read to them nightly for a period of time and then, they are changed the next week or changed if my children are simply "tired" of a particular book.  If you are just beginning to build your child's library this is a great way to keep things interesting with only a few books.  

What about that ONE book that your little insists on being read over and over...keep reading it.  No matter how sick of it you are, you are encouraging their love for reading and it will spread over into other areas of their literacy.  Simply make an effort to introduce a new book with the favorite your child loves. 

If you have any questions about Repeated Readings please ask us, we'll be glad to assist you.   Now, go read to your child.