0 – 3 yrs
Cut out Characters – Photocopy or draw the main character(s) from a favourite storybook. Cut it out and write its name on the back, e.g. Little Brown Mouse. If possible, laminate so it will last despite all the handling. Now your child can use this character to join in the story, moving from page to page. The child can also develop language skills by creating his/her own stories using the cut out characters. The laminates make handy bookmarks too!
2 – 4 yrs
Learn by heart – ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’ is great to learn then follow with your finger as your child recites the tale, giving your child the feeling of reading. Look for other books with simple, repetitive text.
What am I? - a good way to expand vocabulary is to ‘be something’ and describe what you are to each other. Eg: ‘I go Baa, Baa. What am I?’ Or more advanced, ‘I’m red and people post letters in me. What am I?’ Remember to take turns and ask for more clues.
Labels – label children’s belongings with their name also make labels for things around the bedroom, e.g. ‘Bed’, ‘Books’, ‘Cars’, etc.
4 – 6 yrs
I spy – with clues -E.g. “I spy something beginning with L. It is outside, very tall and comes on when it gets dark.” Keep asking for more clues to develop your child’s descriptive vocabulary. Once your child has grasped spelling, broaden the game to include the first two letter sounds of a word, or the first and last letter sounds.
Magic sock – clearly write what your child will be doing today as one word on a card, e.g. ‘Park’, ‘Playgroup’, ‘William’, ‘Swimming. Put the card in a sock and then ask ‘the magic sock’- what you are going to do that day. After much repetition they will begin to recognise that day’s activity. As your child becomes a more confident reader, write a few words on the paper such as ‘This afternoon we are going to the library’. When you have a choice and cannot decide what to do, you or your child could write the options on some paper, put them in the sock and select your activity that way.
5 – 8 yrs
Treasure Hunt
1. STARTER READERS: give them a letter they have to place on items that start with that letter. Later write the full word and then guide them to the item by saying ‘hot’ or ‘cold’.
2. READERS: hide written clues around the house leading to the treasure, e.g. start with a piece of paper that says ‘Kitchen – in the fridge’. When they find that piece it will say ‘Bathroom - next to toothbrushes’. The trail should end at the treasure (a new book from the library perhaps.)
3. ADVANCED READERS: scramble the letters in the clue, e.g. DIGREF = FRIDGE.
Tape Stories - read and record a story to tape using sound effects. Less confident readers could select short bits to read (practice first), whilst you read in-between. More confident readers could read the whole story. An ideal gift for granny, Fathers’ Day, etc, especially if you make up a story or poem to record.
7 – 10 yrs
Mystery Bags – borrow eight books for your child from the library, then pile them into a pilowcase. When your child comes home from school, tell them that if they are in bed by seven o'clock (or your chosen time) s/he will receive a Mystery Bag. This will create fun and excitement as to what’s in the bag, and give you some quite time while they explore and read their books.
Won't Read, Could Read? - this is a leaflet from Barrington Stoke, a publisher of books for dyslexic children and teenagers. The stories are not dumbed down, but they choose the font very carefully - and even the paper colour, because they've discovered that dyslexic children find cream an easier background to read print from. Any child who is not enjoying reading, because they are finding it tough would benefit from the advice in this leaflet . It is mainly about getting teenagers reading and is full of really useful information for parents.
The leaflet is available free from Barrington Stoke www.barringtonstoke.co.uk