Read It Again, Mommy
I read to my daughter in the womb. Well, I wasn’t actually in there with her,
but when I was reading on the outside, she was listening on the inside. After
she was born it was much more interesting -- now she could see the pictures.
At first, we mostly read things I was interested in, but as
she grew, we concentrated on books that would interest her. We read and reread
all of her favorites. She never tired of saying, “Read it again, Mommy.”
We started out with picture books. My husband could recite
all of the Dr. Seuss books by heart. When our little girl’s demand outgrew our
supply, we hit on a brilliant idea. We invested in a child’s tape recorder and
some 30 minute tapes. We recorded each story as we read them. This way, she
could have Mommy or Daddy read to her whenever she wanted. She could follow
along with the book and look at the pictures or put us “on” and play while she
listened. Even better, she could listen to us at bedtime after lights out, and
in the car on long trips.
As our little reader grew older, we started to read chapter
books into the recorder. Every day we read a chapter “live” and record it. She would
listen to the previous day’s recording to review events and then to the current
tape. We enjoyed many books that were too involved for one reading, but when
reviewed each night became clear and exciting. We looked forward to the tapings
and “reruns.”
Eventually, our daughter began to read herself and one of
the first things she did was to make her own recordings. She played them to our
family’s cats and listened to herself improve with each reading. She learned to
add expression and to create tension in a reading. The cats loved it; so did
Mommy and Daddy.
Now she is a voracious reader. Sometimes, she gets out those
old tapes to listen to at night. She hears not only a story, but “her-story”
for, as we read, a little girl asked questions and reacted to the drama being
read. All of this is on those old tapes, just waiting for our grandchildren.
And I’ll be ready when they say, “Nonna, read us a story.”
