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That Ole Book Magic

Cast a spell with these easy activities from FamilyFun

In This Article

Ages Six to Eight

This is a really exciting time, the years when most lion

children begin reading on their own. Make sure they have plenty of really easy reading material around--you want them to feel like they are great readers. Also, don't forget to celebrate their literary milestones--like reading their first book on their own. By doing this, you're telling your child that reading is as big an accomplishment as winning a soccer game or putting on a dance recital. Allow your children to make the transition from picture books to chapter books gradually. Some kids, especially very visual ones, keep their favorite picture books around for years.

USE BOOKS TO BUILD HOBBIES

By choosing one of your child's favorite activities and planning a book activity around it, you show your child that books are a great way to learn more about the things he loves. For example, if your child loves LEGOs, get one of Sebastian Quigley's books which give building instructions for LEGO figures: LEGO MODELERS: AMAZING ANIMALS or LEGO MODELERS: FANTASTIC FIGURES.

Or if your child is a budding chef, fun, easy activities can be found in COOKING ART: EASY EDIBLE ART FOR YOUNG CHILDREN by MaryAnn F. Kohl and others. For simple, readable recipes, get COOKING WITH CHILDREN: 15 LESSONS FOR CHILDREN, AGE 7 AND UP, WHO REALLY WANT TO LEARN TO COOK by Marion Cunningham.

WRITE DOWN YOUR CHILD'S STORIES

To get your children actively involved in the world of words, let them dictate little stories that you then help make into books. Either print the story on construction paper as they tell it to you, so they can draw pictures above the print, or type it on a computer and then print it out in a large font on heavy paper, again, leaving lots of room for pictures.

A large number of my high school students remember doing this, and they all loved it. Some still have the little books they made. One of my own children made books in first and second grade titled "When I Was Six" and "When I Was Seven." These books contain the highlights, as she remembered them, of her previous year. They are very funny and dear to us now, especially because her main events were things like "My cat played with me," rather than "We moved," or "I started school."

READING YOUR WAY THROUGH THE DAY

• Have your child help you write a shopping list before you head to the supermarket.
• Let your child distribute the mail to other family members.
• Point out street signs and store signs as you go about your day.
• Have your child write up a menu for that night's dinner.
• Ask older children to read picture books to their younger siblings.
• Listen to audio books in the car.