Make it a point to read with your children and establish a nightly or daily routine. Choose books that relate to children's interests and tap into their imagination. This can increase the appreciation and love for books as children get older. In addition, transforming reading sessions into a family fun night extends the enjoyment. Incorporate games or activities that relate to the book's character, story or theme in order to keep the evening light and fun. For example if they've just finish reading a book about adventures in outer space, rent a sci-fi movie or visit a local children's museum or observatory that has interactive exhibitions on galaxies, planets and the universe. Playing games, such as Boggle and Scrabble, can also be included on days that you don't read together. These educational games promote literacy and become a fun way for children to interact with family or friends, while learning in the process.
Plan field trips to visit the local library or bookstore frequently. Expose children to a wide selection of books in order to keep their interest at a high level. Variety increases a child's attention span and imagination, in addition to helping him develop a love for reading.
Sing-alongs, DVDs and movies with an educational subtext are fun ways to keep literacy interesting. Music, rhymes and melodies are a great way of keeping your children interested in reading. Sing-alongs usually feature words on the screen, so that children can read, or sing aloud. This helps children visualize words that characters on the screen are saying. While watching movies or DVDs on television, turn on the closed caption feature. This activity helps reinforce letter and word recognition.
Listening to books on tape can be another motivational tool used to encourage kids to read. Authors and actors read books with funny or dramatic voices, tones and inflection that create a better visual picture for kids who have trouble reading. Children can read along silently or listen and follow along.
Writing their own stories about a particular topic can expose children to the art of storytelling. They can learn what it takes to create an interesting story and practice fusing words and sentences together in order to produce a creative narrative. The process helps bring kids closer to reading by exploring their own storytelling talents.
Using computer software featuring cartoon characters, such as Little Bear Toddler Discovery Adventures, expose children to letters, words and phonics activities, thus allowing children to interactively participate in learning to read through games. In addition using electronic learning toys such as LeapFrog's Leapster, LeapFrog's Tag Reading System or VTech's Bugsby Reading System and Pen Bundle provide additional interactive games, activities and tools to enjoy reading.