If people did not know how to read, they wouldn’t be able to drive, follow a recipe, or find out the daily news. People read something every single day, and will be reading for the rest of their lives. Without reading, it would difficult to get by day by day. Introducing your child to the world of reading will open up so many wonderful opportunities.
Children can get lost in books, write poetry, follow directions, or develop plans and reports. Being a bookworm should not be the main focus here; it is important that children can read in order to be successful in their lives.
Parents and teachers can engage their children and students in many reading exercises and activities. Activities that teach reading aren’t just limited to reading books. There are many games that involve children in reading as well.
Letter and Word Games
There is an abundant list of games that will get your child reading. Games such as Scrabble, Hangman, and UpWords are both educational and fun. They stimulate the mind and get those learning wheels turning. A great benefit to these games is that even though they think it’s all about winning, they don’t fully realize that what they’re actually doing is actively reading.
Scavenger Hunts
Scavenger hunts involve lists of several items. Some of the items indicated may be very specific or very vague. Because scavenger hunts are so exciting, children are more caught up in winning than actually taking the time to read what they should be looking for. Reading something incorrectly can result in bringing back the wrong things.
Building
Ask your child to assist you with building something, such as a desk. Lay out all of the materials that came in the package and read the set of directions with your child. Ensure that your child is interpreting the directions the same way you are. Reading a part of the directions incorrectly can result in parts not fitting or worse, watching the end product fall apart when used!
Flash Cards
Break this activity up into several categories, such as food groups, places, or people. All you would need is 3×5 cards to write different words on. Ask your child to sit in front of you and ask him or her to say what is written on the card. Set a time limit for each card and work at an even, but quick, pace.
Word Baseball
This activity will get children giggling. Set up a room like a baseball field with all the bases. Assign positions to the children. Stand in the middle of the room with a large piece of construction paper with a word written on it. Make sure that you have plenty of word cards for the duration of the game. For every kid who is “at bat,” hold up the card and ask him or her to say what word is written. Play it like an actual baseball game, where they get three chances to say the word.
Out and About
When you're out with your child, have them try to read various things in the places you visit. For example, when you're at the grocery store together, have them read simple words that they know on packaging. Have them read the words on the aisle cards, and see if they understand what they mean. As your child gets a little older, you can practice reading difficult words like “quinoa”.
You can even practice your child's reading at the park or playground. Ask them to read different signs that you see. For the signs they can read, ask them how they interpret it. For example, if they see a sign that reads “no dogs allowed”, what does that mean? It may seem obvious to you, but to a child it may not be so.
Don't overwhelm your child with reading challenges while you're out in public. Take it slow, and find the best opportunities to foster growth. If your child begins to see going out in public as another form of school, they may become indignant and disinterested. By using teaching moments properly but sparingly, you can help your child learn while still enjoying being out in public.
With all of these activities, your child will be reading like a pro in no time at all! It's amazing to watch your child go from not knowing how to read to mastering words and sentences. Reading is one of the most important skills for any person, so developing your child's reading skills early is more than critical.