My 5 year old son talks (nonsense/gibberish words) while I am reading books to him.?

Question

This is a new occurrence. His language skills are just fine (doesn't ALWAYS talk like this). He just kind of talks under his breath like this while I read to him. Do you suppose its some sort of way of focusing? Maybe because he is concentrating on trying to learn to read?

Answer 1

i think the devil might have taken over him

Answer 2

he may not like the book, or he just might be tired of you reading to him.

Answer 3

It sounds like he's imitating your reading.  I wouldn't worry about it.  He'll listen if he gets interested in the story.

Answer 4

It sounds like he's imitating you.  Stop reading every so often and ask him questions.  When my son was this age he snuck into my lecture hall, was on stage and imitating me...gibberish, hand movements....I didn't know he was there, until I noticed 150 pairs of eyes not on me, but to my left.....modeling full force...Ask him to tell you a story sometime....reverse the roles.  (psychology prof)

Answer 5

Some kids do this but are actually saying parts of the word to themselves or things that help them focus on, understand, and remember the words you are saying. Ask him questions about what you just read to see if these are possibilities.

Answer 6

Discipline him and tell him to be quiet and pay attention to you.

Answer 7

He probably doesn't even realize he's doing it. And yes, it's a focus mechanism. If you pay close enough attention, adults will do this too sometimes. If you are explaining something to someone and being very animated and descriptive, their eyebrows may rise, or their lips may move in unison with what your saying. Your son may be too young to really know where the story is going, so he's just anticipating it (gibberish).  

Answer 8

How wonderful!   He is making up his own language.  Many children do this and it is a very clever thing to do.  Don't berate him about this, go along with him. One of my sons did this when he was about 6.   I laughed with him, asked him to translate for me and we used to really enjoy reading the book in English and then him making up his own little interpretation.  Imagination is wonderful, it makes for a wonderful, intelligent, intellectual special adult.  This son is now a very successful lawyer with his own family and he tells me that his youngest used to do exactly the same thing.

Never squash imagination, it is what makes this world go around.