Repeat Reading

Repeat Reading is exactly what it sounds like - read the same story, on repeat. As adults, we tend to avoid repeated exposure to books, movies, games, etc. We don't want the kids to be bored after all! But what we have forgotten, is that most kids secretly love repeating a book, movie, or game. Any parent that's watched their child's favourite movie a million times can confirm - repetition isn't always boring for kids.

Find books that your learner enjoys - and then read them a lot. This strategy is universal - it helps everyone. For the learner who quickly is able to understand a story, repeated readings allows them to go deeper into the story, to build knowledge about literacy structures, and to build familiarity and enjoyment with the story and its characters. For the learner who needs more time to understand a story, repeated reading provides that time. It provides multiple models of great language skills, and it allows for more enjoyment because they can finally 'get it.'

Should I read the story in the exact same way every time?

Nope! Here are some ideas about different ways to experience a book with a learner;

1. Picture Walk: flip through the pictures together, pause at a new picture and wait for your learner to comment. This is a great opportunity to see your learner's imagination and storytelling skills in action.

2. Classic Story: read the words, look at the pictures, do the silly character voices, talk about the main message or lesson.

3. Fill in the Gaps: After your learner is familiar with the book, read it again but leave some blanks for your learner to fill in. If there are phrases that repeat throughout the book (here all I'm thinking is "No David!") pause before you finish the phrase and see if your learner will fill in the gap. If not, all good, keep going! They may just need to hear you model the phrase more before they also are able to notice the patterned language.

4. Play Librarian: give your learner the job of holding the book, and have them retell the story to you, their stuffed animals, or their siblings while pretending to be a librarian or a teacher.

5. For very little learners at home, have them sit face to face with you, while you hold the book that's facing them (you won't be able to see the book unless you look down). The double benefit of this strategy is that it brings your learner's attention to both the book and your face, so learners that are working on using their words, facial expressions, and/or gestures to communicate can communicate with you while sharing in a fun story.

6. Puppets: What if a sock puppet or a stuffed animal read the story aloud? Some kids love this one, and others would very much like to never see a puppet again, so it's a bit of a gamble but you know your learner best!