Does your child like to read the same book over and over? Is it driving you nuts?

It's cute the way your baby or toddler loves a certain book and wants to read it again and again and soon memorizes certain words and pages or the whole thing, but it may feel like it's an over cooked book to you and your book burnt out.

Well, here are some ways to make reading that book again and again more fun for you because you know tomorrow the story begins all over again. :)

Reading can be so much more!

Keep things interesting by keeping the story going after you've read it or during the story time pump it up with a song that relates to the story. Get on Youtube and search words that relate to the book to find a song, dance and sing together.

Get thematic, if in the book certain characters or words appeal to your little one, say the word "shark" makes him/ her giggle or smile well go enjoy a shark movie or documentary, whip out your kids shark shirt, or go to the bookstore or library and hunt for a shark picture book. By the way, this shark app is cool.

I enjoy finding apps that relate to the story, like when I found this NASA app to show Phoenix the planets when we read Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

If the book involves counting, shapes or the ABC's or a certain color, include items in your home that also involve that color, count the lamps in your own house or spoons or plates. What color shirt or pants or socks is your child wearing today? Mention that color when it shows up in the book you are reading. Do you have any stuffed animals that go with the animals mentioned in the book you are reading? If you're reading about a bear...grab a bear you have at home. It doesn't have to totally match the character but it's a relation, this is fun especially if it's a book with LOTS of animals like this one. See how many stuffed animals you have that are mentioned in the book. Or when you visit the zoo bring the book and try to find as many as you can!

Maybe your baby giggles or eyes get wide when you say a certain word, like the word star-belly in Dr. Seuss' The Sneetches.That word could also become a word of the day and you can use it throughout the day and tickle your baby's belly each time you say it. Maybe put a star sticker on his belly while you read the book the next time.

While reading be sure to notice EVERYTHING on the page. EVERYTHING easier gets missed when you read a story and the focus is on what's happening to the character but the illustration usually involves so much more. Don't miss it! The grass, the stars, the tree, the flower, the little spider in the corner. These are all a part of your reading time. Point out these out to your child while you read. Make the story come alive more and keep the reading experience interactive, ask your toddler, where is the sun, where is the tree, where is the hat?

After the story is done and during the story you can keep it interesting, and your baby will like it too!

Long live reading together!
Isobella