Because I adore children’s literature, and because my mother-in-law was a preschool teacher, my kids were blessed with a bookshelf stacked with books. From beloved novels such as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, to modern-day classics such as Dear Girl, my daughters could read (or be read) a different book every night, for a year. Everyone that is, except my cheeky, strong-willed 3-year-old, who only wants me to read her one book every day, multiple times a day: I Can Read With My Eyes Shut. If I pull out any other book, my daughter shakes her head fervently, or even tosses the book aside and smacks her beloved book onto our laps.
She may enjoy reading the same book repeatedly, but my husband and I are extremely tired of this book. I have it completely memorized, and its rhyming words are now forever stuck in my head. I can’t even turn her on to an alternative kids book such as Dear Zoo or Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. I've even tried pretending we lost the book. No dice.
In a desperate attempt to stop this madness, I did some research and found to my surprise that many experts actually advocate reading the same book over and over to your toddler. I mean, it makes sense. It’s comforting to have that one familiar go-to book — especially during this crazy, mask-filled time in our lives.
And adults do it, too, with other things. I watch my favorite movie, The Devil Wears Prada, at least twice a month because it's familiar, fun, and gives me the warm and fuzzies. It’s the same for little kids. A cherished book provides them with the same feels. Why take that away from them — or you? Whether it’s snuggling up with a beloved baby blanket or stuffed animal or craving a certain story, to a little one, comfort is comfort.
Here are some other reasons we should groan less about reading that same ol' book yet again:
It helps them focus on vocabulary
My 3-year-old is special needs. So vocabulary, speech, and pronunciation are extremely important in her world. Education experts stress that memorization for preschoolers is crucial for strengthening their vocabulary, providing them with the opportunity to speak more words, and recognize what those words mean. For example, the very first words in I Can Read With My Eyes Shut are: I can read in red, I can read in blue — with the words "red" and "blue" colored red and blue. While my daughter struggles with speaking in general, she actually can say the words “red” and “blue”, and can identify those colors. So, there’s that.
It teaches language flow
Even though I’m a journalist and lifelong book lover, I’m not sure exactly how to teach my daughters to read. I leave that up to the teachers who are way more skilled than I am. Reading books on repeat is also a great way to teach kids about sentence flow and structure, allowing them to pick up filler words such as: “the,” “but,” and “next.” Basically, words that help make a sentence flow, and well, make sense. It’s not like I’m teaching my kids what the word, “the” means on a frequent basis. There’s something to be said about repetition and memorization — it works!
It builds confidence
Being familiar with a specific book — particularly one the child has memorized — can fill a kid with confidence, and that’s never a bad thing! Repetitive reading allows your child to read a fave book without hesitating, stopping, or even feeling bored. In a nutshell, it makes the kid feel smart. Their creative minds say: “I got this. I know this.” So eventually, when they do move on to another book, the child can tackle new sentences with greater confidence.
Most books emphasize important life lessons
Most children’s books teach little life lessons. Let’s discuss The Little Engine That Could, my 7-year-old’s current favorite. You can argue it’s a tad outdated, but the moral of this book is that once you set your mind to it, no matter how physically big or small you are, you can do anything. It’s really never too early to teach kids little nuggets of life lessons that will guide them and impact their choices.
It creates bonding and quiet time
I love the scene in A League of Their Own when Madonna’s character, Mae, is teaching her friend how to read and hands her a sensual book to read aloud. Mae’s teammates are aghast, but Mae argues who cares if she’s reading a sex scene, the point is Shirley is reading. Hear me out: That’s how I’ve come to feel about I Can Read With My Eyes Shut. Who cares if my kid wants the same book over and over — she’s reading. (OK, not really, but she’s soaking it in.)
Yes, I’m sick of this book, but who cares? My daughter loves pointing to the pictures, she loves sitting on my lap as we read it together, and reading it to her is a great way to bond. It’s also way better than screen time, which she has too much of in this darn health crisis anyway.
Before bed and after bath, I know my daughter’s going to reach for her tattered copy of her beloved Dr. Seuss book and for the third time today, I’ll read it to her. Proudly. And then when my kiddos are (finally) asleep, it’s The Devil Wears Prada for this mama, and wine. Because she has her love — and I have mine.
