Give a child several magazines, books or other materials. Allow him to cut out pictures that he likes. Use a glue stick to adhere the pictures to the pages of a spiral notebook.
Have a discussion with the child about each picture that he selected. Discuss what is in the picture and the intent of the picture. Ask the child why he selected it and to describe the items in the picture. Write what he says say below the image in clear, legible black ink. Encourage the child to read the scrapbook often. Children will remember their words and be more interested in reading what they had to say about the picture.
Adults can assemble books for younger children. Select images of their favorite things, such as trains, horses, dolls or cartoon characters. Label each in clear, legible black ink. Use as few words as possible. Frequently review the book with the child. Show him the picture and ask him what it is. Say the word and then spell it while pointing to each letter.
In 1948, Dr. Edward William Dolch compiled a list of frequently used words that must be mastered to achieve reading fluency. Eventually, children should be able to identify these 220 words by sight.
Children love games so incorporate the Dolch word list in a board game to mask the education with fun. Create a simple board with squares around the edges. Make homemade game pieces or use pieces from existing games, such as Monopoly or chess. Use one or two dice to determine the number of squares each piece will move on a given turn. After each turn, the players must draw a card with a Dolch word on it, read the word and use it in a sentence.
For a list of Dolch words, visit http://www.mrsperkins.com/dolch-words-all.html.
Older children can improve their reading and spelling skills by playing the game Big & Little Words. Start with a small word, such as "am." Students are given a time limit and encouraged to write as many words as possible that start with the small word. For example, the list could include amber, ambiance, amiss, America and others. The game also can be played in the opposite way. Students can start with a large word and rearrange the letters into as many smaller words as possible. For example, America can become aim, ear or ice.
Some types of food come in alphabet shapes. These include cereal, soup and crackers. Purchase these and serve edible messages to the child. Before the child can indulge, however, she has to have read the written words.