Read It Again, Mommy

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.”