Sometimes my boys bring me a book to read and I cringe because I’ve read that book a million times! But what I should do is cheer! (Ok…maybe we won’t go that far.)
Rereading books is amazing for kids for a few reasons….it helps deepen their comprehension of the text and their understanding of the vocabulary from the text. It can also make the book more accessible for them to read on their own. (see the post about the Three Ways to Read a Book) Last, it helps solidify their understanding of how books work…that there is a beginning, middle and end, that the story is always the same, and that there are problems and solutions in books.
Think about a favorite movie you’ve seen or a favorite book that you’ve read many times….mine is “To Kill A Mockingbird.” I’ve read it maybe ten times but the first time I think I was in eighth grade and the last time about 5 years ago. I’ve changed and learned a lot in those 20 years between the first and last times I read it and the book means different things to me now than it did when I was fourteen. Also, I understand it much more deeply because I’ve read it so many times.
When kids read books again and again, they understand the story so much more deeply and their depth of understanding about the vocabulary in the text is amazing! My kids often use words like: properly, scrawny, compromise, appreciate, dissipate, and commence. They use those words because they appear often in the texts that we’ve read again and again so they understand their meaning on a deep level and are able to use the words in their everyday conversation.
So the next time your kids bring you THAT book…instead of cringing….jump for joy because you will know that you are helping deepen your children’s vocabulary and comprehension skills.