Friday Book Club - Best Repetitive Stories

I'm so excited to share the very first Friday Book Club today, combining two of my favourite things: books and lists! Through almost a decade of teaching elementary school, and now reading constantly to my own little ones, I have amassed a mental index of beautiful books - the best books for any occasion, season, topic or theme. And I'm so excited to share some of them with you!

Each week I'll choose a different subject for my list of 5-10 books. If there's a celebration or theme you'd like me to cover, please leave me a comment or message me on Instagram! The power of a good picture book for small children is undeniable, and the connection we build when we snuggle up and read aloud with kiddos is so very important. Hearing a variety of words, even for young infants, also builds a rich language network in the brain, so be sure to make reading a part of your daily routine from a very early age.

"I do believe something very magical can happen 

when you read a good book." - J.K. Rowling

**Don't forget to take full advantage of your local library - we have an amazing app here in Hamilton that lets you search and place holds on books right from your phone. They'll even notify you when your books arrive at your local branch!**

My 5 Favourite Repetitive Stories for Preschoolers

This week I shared a video of my 3 year old niece on instagram in which she is reciting a book from memory (even turning the pages at the right time). The power of repetitive stories to help preschoolers gain confidence as early readers is beyond question. Children need to hear stories retold many times, but also participate orally in the retelling before moving on to reading themselves. The best books to boost this literacy skill should be simple and have both rhythm and repeating phrases. This also allows you to retell it easily without the book, or make up your own version of the story! Here are some of our favourites...

1. Brown Bear, Brown Bear - Bill Martin Jr.

Here is the book that she was able to recite from memory! Such a simple classic and truly has a place in every child's first library. Notably our favourite game to play in the car: "Mommy, Mommy, what do you see? I see a tree looking at me!"

2. The Napping House - Audrey Wood, Don Wood

This is actually the book I first memorized as a child, and I still have my old worn out copy. It's a 'growing' story (where a new sentence is added on each page) but the illustrations help remind the child what animal/action is coming next.

3. We're Going On a Bear Hunt - Michael Rosen, Helen Oxenbury

Another classic, and perfect for retelling through dramatic play and movement. It's lovely rhythm makes it easy to memorize and again the illustrations give clues as to what is coming next.

4. Have You Seen My Cat? - Eric Carle

This book is as simple as two repeating sentences (it's the different illustrations on each page that tell the story) and little ones absolutely love the opportunity to say NO! 

5. No David! - David Shannon

The illustrations in this book are so fun, but again children hear this word alot and really like it when they have the chance to say NO! There are also many opportunities for continuing conversations about what David is doing on each page.

Can you think of a book that your child has retold on their own? Even more than just trying these simple, predictable texts, it is so important for children to become really familiar with books they like. When they want to read the same book for the 100th time, just know that they are developing a familiarity with these words that creates the foundation of their early literacy skills. Happy reading!