As your child becomes a fluent reader, you can continue to encourage a love of reading. Make sure reading stays fun with these great activity ideas.
Because children learn in different ways, we've arranged these activities by learning style. If you're not sure what your child's learning style is. But any child can benefit from the suggestions in all three categories.
For physical learners
Make a family newspaper Have your child write stories about what's happening in the family. Need some ideas? Recent birthdays, outings, and events at school all make good subjects for "articles." Then encourage her to read the paper to others.
Discover words to grow on Go to the library and check out a gardening book or buy one at the bookstore. Read through it to find plants, flowers, or vegetables that look interesting and then buy some seeds or plants from a local nursery and watch them grow.
Make your own bookmarks Cut a long rectangular strip out of white cardboard, punch a hole in the top, and let your child decorate each side with markers, stickers, sparkles, anything she wants. Then choose a ribbon and tie it through the hole as tassel.
Write a letter to a favorite author To help your child get started, ask her a few questions. What do you like about this author's book? How do you feel when you read these stories? Who is your favorite character? When it's ready, you can send the letter to the author care of the publisher. Check the title page of the book to find out who that is.
Make a dictionary As your child comes across words she doesn't know, have her write them in a blank book or notebook along with the meaning. This is a great way to help build vocabulary.
Give out book dollars If you don't want to use real money, you can draw your own. Dole out the cash for chores or other good deeds at home. When your child earns ten or 15, take a trip to the bookstore and let her spend the money.
Go to a book signing party Popular children's authors often make appearances at bookstores. Check local papers and bulletin boards at bookstores to find how who's coming next.
Build a reading fort In your child's bedroom, lean together some broom or mop sticks and drape blankets over them to create a tent. Invite your child to grab a book and a flashlight and climb in for story time in the dark. In the summertime you can do this in the yard.
Serve a meal from a book Use food coloring to make green eggs and ham, try to recreate parts of the Grinch's Christmas feast, or make your own batch of freckle juice from Judy Blume's book.
Throw a book-related party Read over your child's favorite book and think about what elements would work at a party. Can you decorate her room like the
For auditory learners
Go to story time at the library or a bookstore Nothing beats listening to a trained storyteller. Going to the library or a bookstore to listen to a tall tale is not only a fun outing, but your child will also learn about new books and meet other children. As a bonus, you may pick up a few tips to jazz up your own read-aloud sessions.
Write a menu for a weekend dinner Decide what you'd like to serve and then ask your child to write the dishes down with descriptions. Tell your child to use describing words (also known as adjectives) such as "green, fresh" salad, "hot" chicken, and "cold, sweet" ice cream. The next night, scramble the adjectives as a joke on the rest of the family!
Find a reading phone pal Teach your child to share the joy of reading. Call a friend or relative in another city and arrange a one-on-one book club. Have the children read the same books and talk about them each week.
Listen to books on tape You can check out tapes from the library for free or buy them at a bookstore (to save money, stop by your local used bookstore). Kids love listening to someone else tell them a story, and they can follow along in their own books.
Read a recipe and cook the dish together Start with an illustrated children's cookbook so your child can see how the dish might turn out. Read the recipe to your child while she follows along. Making the food will teach your child that books provide useful information.
Join a summer book club at the library Most libraries arrange summer programs with lists of books for each age group and awards for completing the books. To get credit for each book your child may need to retell the story to a librarian or volunteer. Your child will share the joy of books with others — and may even win some prizes.
For visual learners
Read a story that's out as a movie Then go see the movie. Your child will love seeing characters she already knows from a book up on the big screen. You can rent videos too. For a fun twist, make it a sleepover party and invite other kids to read and watch the video. Then have them talk about it to build reading comprehension. Some ideas:
Make a photo scrapbook Have your child glue some favorite photos in an album (or on colored paper that you'll later punch holes in and tie together) and then write captions next to each one describing what's going on in the picture.
Subscribe to magazines Let your child browse the racks at the store. Aside from the obvious brown-bag restrictions, let her choose whatever she wants. Kids like to read teen magazines long before they're teens. Buy a couple of different magazines from a newsstand or bookstore, then ask your child to pick out a favorite for a subscription.
Imagine what happens next Have your child make up and write down a sequel to a favorite book.
Visit your child's favorite author's Web site Some great ones to try: the site for Gary Paulsen, author of Hatchet and other popular books, the site for the Goosebumps series, and the site for J.K. Rowling, of Harry Potter fame.
Leave notes for your child Put them in her lunchbox or book bag every day. Even if it's just a few simple words such as "I love you." You can also leave them around her room or next to her toothbrush.
Let her read comic books Everyone knows they aren't fine literature, but there's no denying that kids love them! Some great ones to try: Garfield, Archie, The Far Side, Calvin and Hobbes.
Illustrate a song Write down the words to your child's favorite song and have your child draw pictures to go with each stanza. Then read the song.
Set a family reading time For 15 or 20 minutes a night, everyone in the house reads a story together. If friends or neighbors are visiting, ask them to participate. Follow the reading time with a few minutes of discussion about the book to encourage comprehension.
Keep a diary Let your child pick out a diary with a lock and key and encourage her to write in it every day, even if only for a few minutes.
Follow along with a book project Find an instruction or how-to book based on your child's interests: How to draw cars, how to make perfume, how to construct a model, etc. Show your child how to read for information and then put that information to use.
source from http://parentcenter.babycenter.com
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