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"The whole world opened to me when I learned to read "~ Mary McLeod Bethune
To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is
spelled out is a spark. ~ Victor Hugo
25 Activities for Reading and Writing Fun
Doing activities with your children allows you to promote their reading and
writing skills while having fun at the same time. These activities for pre-
readers, beginning readers, and older readers includes what you need and
what to do for each one.
These activities have been developed by national reading experts for you to
use with children, ages birth to Grade 6. The activities are meant to be
used in addition to reading with children every day.
In using these activities, your main goal will be to develop great
enthusiasm in the reader for reading and writing. You are the child's
cheerleader. It is less important for the reader to get every word exactly
right. It is more important for the child to learn to love reading itself.
If the reader finishes one book and asks for another, you know you are
succeeding! If your reader writes even once a week and comes back for more,
you know you have accomplished your beginning goals.
I wish you many wonderful hours of reading and writing with children!
Activities for birth to preschool: The early years
Activity 1: Books and babies
Babies love to listen to the human voice. What better way than through
reading!
What you'll need:
Some books written especially for babies (books made of cardboard or cloth
with flaps to lift and holes to peek through).
What to do:
Start out by singing lullabies and folk songs to your baby. When your baby
is about six months old, choose books with brightly colored, simple pictures
and lots of rhythm in the text. (Mother Goose rhymes are perfect.) Hold your
baby in your lap so he/she can see the colorful pages of the book. Include
books that show pictures and names of familiar objects.
As you read with your baby, point out objects in the pictures and make sure
your baby sees all the things that are fun to do with books. (Pat the Bunny
by Dorothy Kunhardt is a classic touch-and-feel book for babies.)
Vary the tone of your voice with different characters in the stories, sing
nursery rhymes, make funny faces, do whatever special effects you can to
stimulate your baby's interest.
Allow your child to touch and hold cloth and sturdy cardboard books.
When reading to a baby, keep the sessions brief but read daily and often.
As you read to your baby, your child is forming an association between books
and what is most loved your voice and closeness. Allowing babies to handle
books deepens their attachment even more.
Activity 2: Tot talk
What's "old hat" to you can be new and exciting to toddlers and
preschoolers. When you talk about everyday experiences, you help children
connect their world to language and enable them to go beyond that world to
new ideas.
What you'll need:
Yourself and your child
What to do:
As you get dinner ready, talk to your child about things that are happening.
When your 2- or 3-year-old "helps" by taking out all the pots and pans, talk
about them. "Which one is the biggest?" "Can you find a lid for that
one?" "What color is this one?"
When walking down the street and your toddler or preschooler stops to
collect leaves, stop and ask questions that require more than a "yes"
or "no" answer. "Which leaves are the same?" "Which leaves are
different?" "What else grows on trees?"
Ask "what if" questions. "What would happen if we didn't shovel the
snow?" "What if that butterfly lands on your nose?"
Answer your child's endless "why" questions patiently. When you say, "I
don't know, let's look it up," you show how important books are as resources
for answering questions.
After your child tells you a story, ask questions so you can understand
better. That way children learn how to tell complete stories and know you
are interested in what they have to say.
Expose your child to varied experiences trips to the library, museum, or
zoo; walks in the park; or visits with friends and relatives. Surround these
events with lots of comments, questions, and answers.
Talking enables children to expand their vocabulary and understanding of the
world. The ability to carry on a conversation is important for reading
development. Remember, it is better to talk too much rather than too little
with a small child.
Activity 3: R and R repetition and rhyme
Repetition makes books predictable, and young readers love knowing what
comes next.
What you'll need:
Books with repeated phrases (Favorites are: Alexander and the Terrible,
Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst; Brown Bear, Brown Bear,
What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr.; Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss;
and The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper.
Short rhyming poems.
What to do:
Pick a story with repeated phrases or a poem you and your child like. For
example, read:
(Wolf voice:) "Little pig, little pig, let me come in."
(Little pig:) "Not by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin."
(Wolf voice:) "Then I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in!"
After the wolf has blown down the first pig's house, your child will soon
join in with the refrain.
Read slowly, and with a smile or a nod, let your child know you appreciate
his or her participation.
As the child grows more familiar with the story, pause and give him or her a
chance to fill in the blanks and phrases.
Encourage your child to pretend to read, especially books that contain
repetition and rhyme. Most children who enjoy reading will eventually
memorize all or parts of a book and imitate your reading. This is a normal
part of reading development.
When children anticipate what's coming next in a story or poem, they have a
sense of mastery over books. When children feel power, they have the courage
to try. Pretending to read is an important step in the process of learning
to read.
Activity 4: Poetry in motion
When children "act out" a good poem, they learn to love its rhyme, rhythm,
and the pictures it paints with a few well-chosen words. They grow as
readers by connecting feelings with the written word.
What you'll need:
Poems that rhyme, tell a story, and/or are written from a child's point of
view.
What to do:
Read a poem slowly to your child, and bring all your dramatic talents to the
reading. (In other words, "ham it up.")
If there is a poem your child is particularly fond of, suggest acting out a
favorite line. Be sure to award such efforts with delighted enthusiasm.
Suggest acting out a verse, a stanza, or the entire poem. Ask your child to
make a face the way the character in the poem is feeling. Remember that
facial expressions bring emotion into the performer's voice.
Be an enthusiastic audience for your child. Applause is always nice.
If your child is comfortable with the idea, look for a larger setting with
an attentive, appreciative audience. Perhaps an after-dinner "recital" for
family members would appeal to your child.
Mistakes are a fact of life, so ignore them.
Poems are often short with lots of white space on the page. This makes them
manageable for new readers and helps to build their confidence.
Activity 5: Story talk
Talking about what you read is another way to help children develop language
and thinking skills. You won't need to plan the talk, discuss every story,
or expect an answer.
What you'll need:
Storybooks
What to do:
Read slowly and pause occasionally to think aloud about a story. You can
say: "I wonder what's going to happen next!" Or ask a question: "Do you know
what a palace is?" Or point out: "Look where the little mouse is now."
Answer your children's questions, and if you think they don't understand
something, stop and ask them. Don't worry if you break into the flow of a
story to make something clear. But keep the story flowing as smooth as
possible.
Talking about stories they read helps children develop their vocabularies,
link stories to everyday life, and use what they know about the world to
make sense out of stories.
Activity 6: Now hear this
Children are great mimics. When you tell stories, your child will begin to
tell stories, too.
What you'll need:
Your imagination
What to do:
Have your child tell stories like those you have told. Ask: "And then what
happened?" to urge the story along.
Listen closely when your child speaks. Be enthusiastic and responsive. Give
your child full attention.
If you don't understand some part of the story, take the time to get your
child to explain. This will help your child understand the relationship
between a speaker and a listener and an author and a reader.
Encourage your child to express himself or herself. This will help your
child develop a richer vocabulary. It can also help with pronouncing words
clearly.
Having a good audience is very helpful for a child to improve language
skills, as well as confidence in speaking. Parents can be the best audience
a child will ever have.
Activity 7: TV
Television can be a great tool for education. The keys to successful TV
viewing are setting limits, making good choices, taking time to watch
together, discussing what you view, and encouraging follow-up reading.
What you'll need:
A weekly TV schedule
What to do:
Limit your child's TV viewing and make your rules and reasons clear. Involve
your child in choosing which programs to watch. Read the TV schedule
together to choose.
Monitor what your child is watching, and whenever possible, watch the
programs with your child.
When you watch programs with your child, discuss what you have seen so your
child can better understand the programs.
Look for programs that will stimulate your child's interests and encourage
reading (such as dramatizations of children's literature and programs on
wildlife and science.)
Many experts recommend that children watch no more than 10 hours of TV each
week. Limiting TV viewing frees up time for reading and writing activities.
It is worth noting that captioned TV shows can be especially helpful for
children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, studying English as a second
language, or having difficulty learning to read.
Activities for preschool through grade two: Moving into reading
Activity 8: World of words
Here are a few ways to create a home rich in words.
What you'll need:
Paper
Pencils, crayons, markers
Glue
Newspapers, magazines
Safety scissors
What to do:
Hang posters of the alphabet on the bedroom walls or make an alphabet poster
with your child. Print the letters in large type. Capital letters are
usually easier for young children to learn first.
Label the things in your child's pictures. If your child draws a picture of
a house, label it with "This is a house." and put it on the refrigerator.
Have your child watch you write when you make a shopping list or a "what to
do" list. Say the words aloud and carefully print each letter.
Let your child make lists, too. Help your child form the letters and spell
the words.
Look at newspapers and magazines with your child. Find an interesting
picture and show it to your child as you read the caption aloud.
Create a scrapbook. Cut out pictures of people and places and label them.
By exposing your child to words and letters often, your child will begin to
recognize the shapes of letters. The world of words will become friendly.
Activity 9: Write on
Writing helps a child become a better reader, and reading helps a child
become a better writer.
What you'll need:
Pencils, crayons, or markers
Paper or notebook
Chalkboard and chalk
What to do:
Ask your child to dictate a story to you. It could include descriptions of
your outings and activities, along with mementos such as fall leaves and
flowers, birthday cards, and photographs. Older children can do these
activities on their own.
Use a chalkboard or a family message board as an exciting way to involve
children in writing with a purpose.
Keep supplies of paper, pencils, markers, and the like within easy reach.
Encourage beginning and developing writers to keep journals and write
stories. Ask questions that will help children organize the stories, and
respond to their questions about letters and spelling. Suggest they share
the activity with a smaller brother, sister, or friend.
Respond to the content of children's writing, and don't be overly concerned
with misspellings. Over time you can help your child concentrate on learning
to spell correctly.
When children begin to write, they run the risk of criticism, and it takes
courage to continue. Our job as parents is to help children find the
courage. We can do it by expressing our appreciation of their efforts.
Activity 10: Look for books
The main thing is to find books you both love. They will shape your child's
first impression of the world of reading.
What you'll need:
Good books
What to do:
Ask friends, neighbors, and teachers to share the titles of their favorite
books.
Visit your local public library, and as early as possible, get your child a
library card. Ask the librarian for help in selecting books. Have your child
join you in browsing for books and making selections.
Look for award-winning books. Each year the American Library Association
selects children's books for the Caldecott Medal for illustrations and the
Newbery Medal for writing.
Check the book review section of the newspapers and magazines for the
recommended new children's books.
If you and your child don't enjoy reading a particular book, put it aside
and pick up another one.
Keep in mind that your child's reading level and listening level are
different. When you read easy books, beginning readers will soon be reading
along with you. When you read more advanced books, you instill a love of
stories, and you build the motivation that transforms children into lifelong
readers.
Activity 11: Read to me
It's important to read to your child, but equally important to listen to
them read to you. Children thrive on having someone appreciate their
developing skills.
What you'll need:
Books at your child's reading level
What to do:
Listen carefully as your child reads.
Take turns. You read a paragraph and have your child read the next one or
you read half the page and your child reads the other half. As your child
becomes more at ease with reading aloud, take turns reading a full page.
Keep in mind that your child may be focusing more on how to read the words
than what they mean, and your reading helps to keep the story alive.
If your child has trouble reading words, you can help him or her in several
ways:
Ask the child to skip over the word, read the rest of the sentence, and then
say what would make sense in the story for the missing word.
Guide the child to use what he or she knows about letter sounds.
Supply the correct word.
Tell your child how proud you are of his or her efforts and skills.
Listening to your child read aloud provides opportunities for you to express
appreciation of his or her new skills and for them to practice their
reading. Most importantly, this is another way to enjoy reading together.
Activity 12: Family stories
Family stories enrich the relationship between parent and child.
What you'll need:
Time set aside for talking with your child.
What to do:
Tell your child stories about your parents and grandparents. You might even
put these stories in a book and add old family photographs.
Have your child tell you stories about what happened on special days, such
as holidays, birthdays, and family vacations.
Reminisce about when you were little. Describe things that happened at
school involving teachers and subjects you were studying. Talk about your
brothers, sisters, or friends.
Write a trip journal with your child to create a new family story. Recording
the day's events and pasting the photographs into the journal ties the
family story to a written record. You can include everyday trips like going
to the market or the park.
It helps for children to know that stories come from real people and are
about real events. When children listen to stories, they hear the voice of
the storyteller. This helps them hear the words when they learn to read
aloud or read silently.
Activity 13: P.S. I love you
Something important happens when children receive and write letters. They
realize that the printed word has a purpose.
What you'll need:
Paper
Pencil, crayon, or marker
What to do:
Send your child little notes (by putting them in a pocket or lunch box, for
example). When your child shows you the note, read it aloud with expression.
Some children will read the notes on their own.
When your child expresses a feeling or a thought that relates to a person,
have your child write a letter. Have your child dictate the words to you if
your child doesn't write yet.
For example:
Dear Grandma,
I like it when you make ice cream. It's better than the kind we buy at the
store.
Your grandson,
Darryl
P.S. I love you
Ask the people who receive these notes to respond. An oral response if fine
a written response is even better.
Explain the writing process to your child: "We think of ideas and put them
into words; we put the words on paper; people read the words; and people
respond."
Language is speaking listening, reading, and writing. Each element supports
and enriches the others. Sending letters will help children become better
writers, and writing will make them better readers.
Activities for grades three through six: Encouraging the young reader
Activity 14: Good books make reading fun
Stories for young children should be of all kinds folktales, funny tales,
exciting tales, tales of the wondrous and stories that tell of everyday
things.
What you'll need:
A variety of interesting books
What to do:
An essential step in learning to read is good books read aloud. Parents who
read aloud to their children are teaching literacy concepts simply by
sharing books. Encourage your children to listen, ponder, make comments, and
ask questions.
Be flexible enough to quickly abandon a book that does not appeal after a
reasonable try at reading it. No one is meant to enjoy every book. And no
one, especially a child, should be forced to read or listen to books that
bore.
Even after children have outgrown picture books they still enjoy hearing a
story read aloud. Hearing a good story read well, especially if it is just a
little beyond a child's own capabilities, is an excellent way to encourage
independent reading. Not all books are best read aloud; some are better
enjoyed silently.
There are plenty of children's books that are twice as satisfying when they
are shared a chapter at a time before bed or during long car rides. There
are some books that children should not miss, books that they will want to
hear many times and ultimately read for themselves.
Young children want to read what makes them laugh or cry, shiver and gasp.
They must have stories and poems that reflect what they themselves have
felt. They need the thrill of imagining, of being for a time in some
character's shoes for a spine-tingling adventure. They want to experience
the delight and amazement that comes with hearing playful language. For
children, reading must be equated with enjoying, imagining, wondering, and
reacting with feeling. If not, we should not be surprised if they refuse to
read. So let your child sometime choose the story or book that they want you
to read to them.
Give your child many opportunities to read and write stories, lists,
messages, letters, notes, and postcards to relatives and friends. Since the
skills for reading and writing reinforce one another, your child's skills
and proficiency in reading and writing will be strengthened if you help your
child connect reading to writing and writing to reading.
Activity 15: Artful artists
Children love to be creative when it comes to drawing, and illustrations add
visual imagery to stories.
What you'll need:
Drawing paper
Pens and pencils
Magic markers or crayons
What to do:
Find a fable, fairy tale, or other short story for your child to read. Then
ask your child to illustrate a part of the story he or she likes best or
describe a favorite character. Have the child dictate or write a few
sentences that tell about this picture.
Activity 16: Shopping your way with words
Use your weekly shopping trip as an opportunity to help your child develop
reading and writing skills.
What you'll need:
Paper and pencils
Newspaper ads
Supermarket coupons
What to do:
As you make out your grocery shopping list, give your child a sheet of paper
and read the items to him or her. If the child asks for spelling help, write
the words correctly for him or her to copy or spell the words aloud as your
child writes them.
Ask your child to look through the newspaper ads to find the prices of as
many items as possible. Your child can write these prices on the list and
then look through your coupons to select the ones you can use. Take your
child to the supermarket and ask him or her to read each item to you as you
shop.
Activity 17: Cookbooking
Cooking is always a delight for children, especially when they can eat the
results!
What you'll need:
Easy-to-read recipes
Cooking utensils
Paper and pencils
What to do:
Show your child a recipe and go over it together. Ask your child to read the
recipe to you as you work, and tell the child that each step must be done in
a special order. Let your child help mix the ingredients. Allow your child
to write down other recipes from the cookbook that he or she would like to
help make.
Activity 18: Dictionary words
A dictionary is a valuable learning tool, especially if your child makes up
his or her own booklet of words that are challenging.
What you'll need:
Paper and pencils
A stapler
Old magazines
Newspaper and supplements
What to do:
Encourage your child to make a dictionary by putting together several sheets
of paper for a booklet. Ask your child to write at the top of each page a
new word he or she has recently learned. If the word can be shown in a
picture, have him or her look through magazines and newspapers to find
pictures that illustrate the words and paste them on the correct pages.
Have your child write the meaning of each word and a sentence using each new
word. Your child can then use some or all of these sentences as the basis
for a creative story. Have your child read this story to you and other
family members.
Activity 19: Journals
Keeping a journal is a way for your child to write down daily events and
record his or her thoughts.
What you'll need:
Two notebooks - one for your child and one for you!
What to do:
Help your child start a journal. Say what it is and discuss topics that can
be written about, such as making a new friend, an interesting school or home
activity just completed, or how your child felt on the first day of school.
Encourage your child to come up with other ideas. Keep a journal yourself
and compare notes at the end of the week. You and your child each can read
aloud parts of your journals that you want to share.
Activity 20: Greetings and salutations
Everyone loves to get mail, especially when the card has been personally
designed.
What you'll need:
Paper and pencils
Crayons and magic markers
Stamps and envelopes
What to do:
Ask your child to list the birthdays of family members, relatives, and
friends. Show your child some store-bought birthday cards with funny,
serious, or thought-provoking messages. Your child can then create his or
her own birthday card by using a folded piece of paper, making an attractive
cover, and writing a short verse inside. Then your child can mail the cards
to friends and relatives for their birthdays.
Activity 21: Giving the gift of reading
Reading a book is more fun when you have a homemade bookmark to mark your
spot.
What you'll need:
Pieces of lightweight cardboard
Pens and pencils
Paper
Crayons and magic markers
What to do:
Provide your child with a piece of cardboard about 6" long and 2" wide. On
one side of the bookmark, have your child draw a picture of a scene from a
book he or she has read. On the other side, ask your child to write the name
of the book, its author, publisher, publication date, and a few sentences
about the book. After making several of these bookmarks, you might ask the
child to send them to friends and relatives as gifts accompanied by a short
note.
Activity 22: Let your fingers do the walking
The telephone book contains a wealth of information and is a good tool for
reading and writing.
What you'll need:
A telephone book, including the yellow pages
Paper and pencils
What to do:
Have your child look through the yellow pages of the telephone directory,
select a particular service, and write a clever or funny ad for it. Have
your child read this ad to you. Help your child to find your own or a
friend's listing in the white pages of the telephone book. Explain the
different entries (for example, last name and address), along with the
abbreviations commonly used.
Activity 23: Map your way to success
Children love to read road maps and this activity actually helps them with
geography.
What you'll need:
A road map or atlas
Paper and pencil
Stamps and envelopes
What to do:
When planning a vacation, let your child see the road map and help you plan
where you will drive. Talk about where you will start and where you will end
up. Let your child follow the route between these two points. Encourage your
child to write to the Chamber of Commerce for brochures about places you
will see on your trip.
Activity 24: What's in the news?
Newspapers are a form of daily communication with the outside world, and
provide lots of learning activities for children.
What you'll need:
Newspapers
Scissors
Colored pencils
What to do:
Clip out an interesting news story and cut the paragraphs apart. Ask your
child to read the paragraphs and put them in order.
Ask your child to read a short editorial printed in your local newspaper and
to underline all the facts with a green pencil and all the opinions with an
orange pencil.
Pictures fascinate children of all ages. Clip pictures in the newspaper. Ask
your child to tell you about the picture or list adjectives to describe the
picture.
Do you take your child to the movies? Have your child first look up the
movie page by using the index in the newspaper. After a movie has been
chosen, have your child study the picture or text in the ad and tell you
what he or she thinks the movie is about.
Have your child pick a headline and turn it into a question. Then the child
can read the article to see if the question is answered.
Ask your child to clip food coupons from the newspaper for your grocery
shopping trips. First, talk about which products you use and which you do
not. Then the child can cut out the right coupons and putt hem into
categories such as drinks and breakfast items. You can then cash in the
coupons at the store.
Pick out an interesting article from the newspaper. As you are preparing
lunch or dinner, tell your child that you are busy and ask him or her to
read the article to you.
Many newspapers publish materials especially written for children, such as
the syndicated "Mini Page," "Pennywhistle Press," and "Dynamite Kids." In
addition, some newspapers publish weekly columns for children, as well as
tabloids and summer supplements written by educators.
Activity 25: Using television to stimulate reading
What child doesn't enjoy watching TV? Capitalize on this form of
entertainment and use TV to help rather than hinder your child's learning.
Some important ideas to consider before turning on the TV: Limit in some way
the amount of TV your child watches so as to leave time for reading and
other activities. Decide how much time should be set aside for watching TV
each day.
Serve as an example by limiting the amount of TV you yourself watch. Have
time when the TV set is off and the entire family reads something. You may
want to watch TV only for special shows. Before the TV set is turned on,
encourage your child to select the programs he or she wishes to watch. Ask
your child to give you the reason for the choices made.
In addition, watch some of the same TV programs your child watches. This
helps you as a parent share in some of your child's daily activities.
What you'll need:
A TV
A TV selection guide
Colored highlighters
A calendar page for each month
Paper and pencils
What to do:
Ask your child to tell you about favorite TV characters using different
kinds of words.
As your child watches commercials on television, ask him or her to invent a
product and write slogans or an ad for it.
Encourage your child to watch such programs as Reading Rainbow. Urge older
children to watch such programs as 60 Minutes and selected documentaries.
These programs are informative. Discuss interesting ideas covered in the
programs and direct your child to maps, encyclopedias, fiction, or popular
children's magazines for more information.
Have your child name 10 of his or her favorite shows. Ask your child to put
them into categories according to the type of show they are, such as family
shows, cartoons, situation comedies, sports, science fiction, or news and
information. If you find the selection is not varied enough, you might
suggest a few others that would broaden experiences.
Prepare a monthly calendar with symbols such as a picture of the sun to
represent an outdoor activity or a picture of a book to represent reading.
Each time your child engages in a daily free time activity, encourage him or
her to paste a symbol on the correct calendar date. This will give you an
idea of how your child spends his or her free time. It also encourages a
varied schedule.
Ask each child in your family to pick a different color. Using the TV
listing, have each child use this color to circle one TV program that he or
she wants to watch each day. Alternate who gets first choice. This serves
two purposes. It limits the amount of time watching TV and it encourages
discriminating viewing.
Devise a rating scale from 1 to 5. Ask your child to give a number to a
certain TV program and to explain why such a rating was given.
Have your child keep a weekly TV log and write down five unfamiliar words
heard or seen each week. Encourage your child to look up the meanings of
these words in the dictionary or talk about them with you.
Kameenui, E. J., & Simmons, D. C. (May, 1997). Read*Write*Now! Activities
for Reading and Writing Fun. A Joint Project of the U.S. Department of
Education, the American Library Association, Pizza Hut, Inc., Scholastic,
Inc., Reading Is Fundamental, Inc.
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