The ABC's of Learning to Read Through Play: N thru Z

As a mom of a kindergartener and first grader, reading is a huge part of our daily lives. Not only do I want to teach the Lil Divas how to read, I want them to LOVE to read. 

Growing up I always had a book in hand. My parents used to have to stop me from reading. Nerdy, I know but I wouldn't change a thing. As a young adult I read 2 or 3 books a week. See I have this problem - once I start a book, I get hooked and I just have to see what happens at the end. I will go without sleep to finish a book. Anyone else do that? 

I admit, I don't have as much time at this "mommy" stage in my life to read so many books a week but reading is still one of my favorite things to do. It's my "me time", a way to unwind and relax and lose myself in a good story. My Kindle is always in my purse - just in case I can sneak in some book time.

I want the Lil Divas to share my love of reading and books. It's important to me. So, we read together every day and we make reading FUN. Reading in our house isn't about mere words on a page read aloud. It's about losing ourselves in the story, laughing at the character's antics, using silly voices to bring the book to life and having a good time. Reading with the Lil Divas is one of my favorite parts of the day. 

Yesterday, I shared Part 1 of my ABC's of Learning to Read Through Play. Today, I am sharing the 2nd and final part with you. I hope you find it useful. 

N is for No Limits. My first grader is reading chapter books but sometimes she wants to read some of her old baby books or a magazine that has just arrived in the mail. That's fine with me. My goal is to have her reading, so while I'd love for her to challenge herself, I understand the need for fluff every now and then. I do it too, don't you? I try not to set limits to what I think they should be reading. I encourage them to make their own reading choices and as long as it's appropriate (meaning nothing too adult or beyond their level of comprehension/understanding) - it all goes. Doing it this way works for us. I never hear a while or grumble about reading time. They look forward to it. 

O is for Opportunity. One of the best ways to raise a book lover is by providing children with the means and opportunity to read. Books should be readily accessible, not out of reach. Children should be able to pick up a book and read whenever they want to (within reason of course). We have books readily available in our play room and the girls have a library stocked with books in their room as well. 

P is for Phonetic Awareness. In order to read children need a proper foundation. Phonics plays a crucial role in that foundation. Children need to know how to tackle unknown or new words when reading. There are so many fun ways to review phonics skills. Try playing Playdough to Plato's Spin a Word Family Game. I have fun crafty and learning activities like this Build a Snowman Long/Short Vowel O Review Game, Word Family Turkeys and Trees, and fun Bat and Pig word slides.

Q is for Questions. When you are done reading a book with your child don't just close it and forget about it. Take some time to ask questions. Ask questions about the story (great comprehension activity!) and also about your child's thoughts and opinions. Did they enjoy the story? Who was their favorite character? Why do they think the character did what he/she did? What would they have done if they were a certain character? This type of conversation gets children thinking about books in a different way. Not only are they analyzing the story but they are relating to it on a deeper and more personal level. 

R is for Rhyming. Cat, sat, mat, rat, fat, splat, flat... Can you think of more _at words? Nursery rhymes and rhyming games are wonderful for beginning readers. Teach Mama tells us more about the importance of rhyming and shares 4 Ways to Play With Rhymes. If you plan to have some fun with nursery rhymes (why wouldn't you?) check out Toddler Approved's Nursery Rhyme Wall - such a fun way to bring Humpty Dumpty to life and practice crucial reading and phonics skills. 

S is for Sight Words. I have shared lots of sight word games on the blog. Why? Knowing them really does aide in reading. It has done wonders for my Lil Divas. They were so much more confident and excited about reading when they didn't have to sound out each word. Of course like most children, they were resistant about going over words in a boring way. I made it my little project to come up with fun ways to expose them to sight words so that they got the repetition without the boredom. A few of the Lil Divas favorite ways to learn sight words are through playing Sight Word Tic-Tac-Toe, Sight Word Connect Four, Sight Word Bowling, Sight Word Island Jumping and by using our Sight Word Discovery Bottles. 

T is for Technology. There are so many fun apps and websites where kids can play and practice their reading skills. Imagination Soup is one of my go-to resources for book and learning app recommendations. She has tons of recommendations on her site. A few that are useful for beginning readers are her lists of 14 iPad Books for Kids and 24 Educational iPad Apps for Kids in Reading and Writing. One of the Lil Divas favorite iPad books is The Monster at the End of This Book - they love it no matter how many times they have read it.

U is for Use Funny Voices. Using different and funny voices brings books to life and engages children. As a teacher I love reading aloud and I always read with lots of expression, different voices and utilize any noises or antics that I can to capture my students attention. The Oldest Diva reads this way as well and I have so much fun listening to her. Every exclamation point is met with an elevated voice and every mention of a whisper is spoken in a barely audible voice. It makes reading more like participating in a play and she is always fully engaged. Reading is FUN, it is an event. I highly recommend reading this way if you do not already do it. It really works.

V is for Visits to the Library. There is no better way to get kids excited about books and reading than by letting them pick their own books. A visit to the library is like a treasure hunt. There are so many gems just waiting to be found. You can turn a trip to the library into an adventure. Imagination Soup shared a fun Library Scavenger Hunt idea that I know my Lil Divas would enjoy. Mama Scout has 25 Mini-Adventures in the Library. We try to make weekly trips to the library together and it's something both girls look forward to. I never limit how many books they can take out. My only stipulation is that they spend some time looking at each book before adding it to their bag to ensure it is something they are really interested in. Do you take trips to the library with your kids? It's a great way to build excitement and anticipation over books and reading.

W is for Word Play. There are so many ways to have fun with words! A few of my favorites are this list of 10 Word Games for Kids from No Time for Flashcards,  Word Smash from I Can Teach My Child and our Word Family Eggs. 

X is for Mix it Up! Don't always do the same thing when it comes to reading with your child. Mixing things up will keep them fresh and exciting. If you always read to your child at night, have them read to you instead. Invite children to read to siblings, family and even friends. If you always read in bed, try a different room of the house or a different time of day. Build a fort, grab a flashlight and read some of your favorite books together. The possibilities are endless so get creative.

Y is for YouTube. Did you know there are tons of children's book videos on YouTube. It's a great resource, especially in this technological age. Give it a try but be sure to preview everything before letting your child watch.

Z is for ZEST! To be honest, this is my #1 tip. Be enthusiastic about reading and it sets a wonderful example for your children and/or students to do the same. 

I hope you find these ABC's useful. Remember that I am simply sharing what has worked for me both in the classroom and at home with my own girls. Each child is an individual so it's important to keep that in mind but I am a firm believer that if you make reading fun, kids will enjoy it and want to do it!

Happy Reading,

Bern

This post is part of a series being brought to you by members of the Kid Blogger Network. If you want to check out more posts relating to the ABC's of Literacy & Language be sure to visit: 

Books for Preschoolers / Preschool Book Club
Building a Home Library / Jackie at Ready-Set-ReadEarly Language Learning / Katie at Playing with Words 365Early Literacy / Malia at Play Dough to PlatoExploring Books / Deirdre at J Daniel 4s MomGraphic Novels / Mia at Pragmatic MomLearning to Read Through Play / Bern at Mom to 2 Posh Lil DivasLearning to Write / Cathy at Nurture StoreReading Comprehension for Pre K- Grade 1 / Carolyn at The Wise Owl FactoryStorytelling / Jillian at A Mom with a Lesson Plan 

If you want to check out ALL of the fabulous ABC's of... posts be sure to stop by Reading Mama for all the info and links. There are so many wonderful topics being covered including arts & crafts, learning through play, literacy & language, Mama tips & tricks and school activities.  

Bern

The ABC's of Learning to Read Through Play - A thru M

Can your child learn to read in a fun, non-stressful and hands-on way? The answer is, YES!  You can not only help your child learn to read through lots of play, hands-on activities and of course daily exposure to books but you can help them become lifelong readers as well. 

The ABC's of Learning to Read Through Play

A is for Alphabet. Learning to read starts with the basics - letter recognition. This can start as early as your child shows interest and can be both fun and developmentally appropriate. Here are 90+ Fun Ideas for Teaching Kids Letters compiled from bloggers around the web from Learn with Play at Home. No Time for Flashcards has tons of great Alphabet Activities for kids. For even more ideas check out my post filled with Tactile Alphabet Ideas and my Alphabet Fun and ABC Letter Craft Ideas boards on Pinterest.    

B is for Books, books & more books. There is no better way to teach a child to read than to expose them to books and reading on a daily basis. Reading to a child from early on not only helps develop a love of literacy but it gives them a foundation on which to build later reading skills. Regular exposure to age-appropriate books and the printed word in general allows children to develop literacy skills that are crucial to learning how to read such as the ability to interpret pictures, to follow the plot of a story and to associate meaning with the printed word. For some children's book recommendations and correlating activities check out my Children's Book Week Linky with links to 100+ Children's Book ideas & activities and Toddler Approved's Children's Book Related Crafts and Activities Board on Pinterest.

C is for Comprehension. A crucial part of learning to read is comprehension. This can be done easily by asking children questions as your read together. They do not need to be difficult questions but they should offer insight into what has been read. Think of simple questions that answer the key who, what, when, where, why and how details of the story. The ability to stop, think and analyze the story will really help your child when they are reading independently.  Coffee Cups and Crayons uses a Question Ball as a fun way to help aid her children's reading comprehension. Imagination Soup has some great tips on Reading Comprehension Strategies. 

D is for Developmental Readiness. Exposing children to books, letters, words and a literacy rich environment is quite beneficial. It is important however, not to force young children to "learn to read" before they have expressed interest or are developmentally ready for such tasks. Instead, it is important to provide positive and fun experiences where children can be engaged with letters, sounds, words and books that are developmentally appropriate. For example, you shouldn't expect your 3 year old to read Harry Potter but they may be able to help you "read" some of the key words in some of their favorite bedtime stories like Goodnight Moon.  Keep it light, fun and simple. It will all come together in time. Here is a great post highlighting 4 Signs Your Child is Ready to Read by Playdough to Plato. 

E is for Encouragement. We all need it, don't we? It is easy to get frustrated when teaching a child to read. We tend to forget that we too, once (probably) struggled with learning to read since we have been at it for so long. Instead of being upset or frustrated, try to remain calm and encouraging. The more positive an environment we provide the better the child will feel. The last thing you want to do is to give your child a negative view of books and reading based on how you are interacting with them as you read. I wrote a post with 7 Tips to Encourage the Beginning Reader that I hope will help you keep things upbeat and encouraging as you work with your child on learning to read.

F is for Fluency. Fluency comes with time and practice. Beginning readers spend quite a bit of time reading letter by letter and then word by word. This is normal. The more familiar they become with words by sight, the less choppy and more fluent their reading will become. Working on sight words, phonics skills and spending lots of time engaged in reading will help your child become a more fluent reader.

G is for Games. Both my girls learned how to read by playing games. Yes, you read that correctly - games. We started with Alphabet Games like this Musical Alphabet Game to review letter recognition and practice their sounds. Once they knew their letter sounds we moved on to Phonics Fun and Sight Word Games. 

H is for Hands-on. Learning to read doesn't mean you always have to sit, stuck behind a book. Get moving, doing and playing and you will see how enthusiastic  your child can be about learning to read. Looking for a few more fun ways to practice sight words - how about Sight Word Twister or Sight Word Hopscotch. Those are 2 fun ways we regularly play to learn. The girls are moving and playing and hardly realize they are also doing some learning in the process.

I is for Interests. You would be surprised at what the wrong book can do to turn a child off of reading. If you want to get your child reading - take their interests into account. If you have a child who enjoys playing sports try some books centered around this topic or read non-fiction books on some of their favorite athletes. Have a child who enjoys a good joke? Read a few joke books. They may be silly but they will have them reading to tell you jokes and laughing along the way. Finding the "right" book which captures your child's interest can turn them on to reading and help them on their way to being lifelong readers.

J is for Journal. Encourage your child to keep a journal and write in it daily. You will be amazed at how their writing and spelling improves as they learn to read. The simple act of sounding out words while they write is wonderful reading practice. Fight the temptation to "help" them with spelling and grammar. Let the journal be their special place to freely express their thoughts and they will be more receptive to using it. Once it feels too much like another piece of homework where they have to worry about handwriting, spelling and grammar - they will be far less excited about it. 

K is for Keeping Your Cool. I'm embarrassed to say that I have lost my cool way more than I care to admit with the whole "learning to read" process with the Lil Divas. As an educator, I know better. As a mom, these particular mom fails rank high on my list of moments I wish I could do over. So take it from someone who has been there - keeping your cool is important. The last thing you want is for your child is to think you are angry with them or worse, disappointed in them. When things get frustrating, take a break. Stop and have a snack or just do something else and come back to reading with your child when you are feeling ready to tackle it again. You will both benefit from it.

L is for Letter Sounds. It sounds pretty basic, doesn't it but you'd be surprised by how many students I have come across over the years that lacked this important foundation. You can have lots of fun with letter sounds. When the Lil Divas were younger they were hooked on Leapfrog videos. I credit LeapFrog:Letter Factory with them learning their letter sounds not only quickly but so well. Fast forward to today, 3 yrs later, and the Littlest Diva can still sing the songs for almost every letter. Want more active learning fun? Try playing Letter Sounds Hopscotch from Childhood Beckons. 

M is for Modeling. One of the best way to teach a child to read is to model how it's done. Read with your child daily, placing emphasis on following punctuation, reading with expression and even using different voices. Not only will you capture their attention and interest but you will be modeling good reading practices for them to follow. I love reading with the Oldest Diva. She is such an expressive reader which makes us really enjoy the books we read together.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the rest of this series featuring letters N-Z with lots more information that I hope you will find useful as you help your children along on their reading journey!

This post is part of a series being brought to you by members of the Kid Blogger Network. If you want to check out more posts relating to the ABC's of Literacy & Language be sure to visit: 

Books for Preschoolers / Preschool Book Club
Building a Home Library / Jackie at Ready-Set-ReadEarly Language Learning / Katie at Playing with Words 365Early Literacy / Malia at Play Dough to PlatoExploring Books / Deirdre at J Daniel 4s MomGraphic Novels / Mia at Pragmatic MomLearning to Read Through Play / Bern at Mom to 2 Posh Lil DivasLearning to Write / Cathy at Nurture StoreReading Comprehension for Pre K- Grade 1 / Carolyn at The Wise Owl FactoryStorytelling / Jillian at A Mom with a Lesson Plan


If you want to check out ALL of the fabulous ABC's of... posts be sure to stop by Reading Mama for all the info and links. There are so many wonderful topics being covered including arts & crafts, learning through play, literacy & language, Mama tips & tricks and school activities.  

Bern