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Congratulations, your child is on the cusp of acquiring a skill that sets humans apart from all other animals!  Just as early man found ways to record their thoughts and ideas to preserve them over time and space, reading and writing are significant milestones in your child’s development and some of the highest forms of human interaction. This journey commenced when you began to read to your child.  

You may remember that there were books your child wanted to hear over and over, and to this day, you and your child can probably recite those books from memory.  While we may have found this tedious, it is vital to your child’s development. Over time, hearing the same story over and over built a strong pathway in your child's brain. He or she came to rely on the rhythm and pace of your reading, and as you read, you built his/her vocabulary and love of reading. As your child begins to read on his own, the same repetition takes place, building skills and confidence.
 
Reading familiar books, rather than having to always sound out new text, can be valuable for beginning readers. Repetition creates confidence, and confidence creates opportunities for growth.  Reading the same book over and over allows your child to solidify the skills he/she is learning and to get ready for the next leap in learning. Reading for intonation, rhythm and rhyme are just as important as reading content because they enable children to reach what is known as "total reading." This refers to not only being able to read the words that make up a passage, but also to be able to understand the writer’s meaning and intent, and to recognize grammar and sentence structure. Try to remember that any reading is good.  Let the focus be on pleasure rather than pressure to read longer or more difficult passages.  Don't count minutes or pages or words. Help your child along the pathway to a reading mastery and a lifelong love of reading by keeping it light and enjoyable.