Before you engage your child in reading games, you need to come up with some ideas to foster your child's interest in reading. First, gradually ease your child into the process. Heavily immersing him immediately may seem wise, but it can be overwhelming. Instead, take a bit of time each day for reading activities, and always keep them informal. Focus on specific stories that the child likes and then have him select and read his favorite parts within those stories. An effective way to entice your child to read is to generate curiosity. Provide him with a relevant newspaper article, riddle book or magazine excerpt. Children are also likely to express interest in books that are based on movies.
Reading is a complex cognitive process, which is why immersion is an effective idea for young readers. Specifically, give your child the opportunity to write. Do not worry about perfect spelling, as this will come with time. Through writing, children form words and familiarize themselves with the sounds that letters make. In turn, your child will show more interest in reading and pick up proper spelling as a result.
You can use reading games to help your children understand the dynamics of reading, such as sentence structure. Ask your child to write down various things she sees outside or in the house. Once she has a list, instruct her to create as many sentences as possible with some or all of those words included. While working with your child is important, you should also focus on allowing her to play reading games in her spare time. Word puzzle, word search and crossword books are widely available at grocery stores and magazine stands. As an added incentive, you can occasionally reward your child for every book she completes.
The opportunity to read is everywhere, so take advantage of this with brief reading games. During long trips, for example, create a game wherein your child must find and read billboards, road signs and license plates. The same thing can apply for shopping trips, since stores are full of signs and labels. You can also label things around the house and have your child casually read them on a regular basis.