Raise Children Who Read for Fun

Try this 10-part plan to help your children develop into readers who read for fun.
love reading. I take books with me everywhere -- in a bath, on the treadmill, and in the car while my kids have sports
practices. I am the type of reader I hope my children will grow up to be. Reading doesn't just come easy for me, it is
also a refuge. It feeds my curiosity, it lets me escape, and it is a way for me to connect with others. I want all these
things for my children and have a 10-part plan to help them develop into readers who read for fun.
1. Make reading a part of their daily routine.
Find a time every single day to read to them and stick with it. It will just be something they always do.
2. Fill the home environment with reading.
Books, magazines, comics, reference materials have it available. Watch movies that are based on books, buy toys
that are characters from books, tell stories using your favorite characters from books.
3. Make reading an event.
Go to the library, go to the bookstore, and make it as exciting as going to the park or zoo. Make it an event, not
something you slip in between errands. Make it fun!
4. Let them choose what they read.
This one is hard for parents. This isn't the get-out-of-homework-reading pass. This is about letting them choose what
they read for fun. Every family will have different books that are and aren't acceptable for them but within those
boundaries, however wide they may be, let them choose what they read for fun.
5. Bite your tongue when your child reads things you do not love.
There are plenty of books I don't love, but if my children are enjoying themselves reading I will bite my tongue. Be
careful when you criticize reading material because what you intend as a criticism of the material a child can hear as
a criticism of reading as a whole.
6. Make sure they see you read for fun.
Practice what you preach. Make time to read for fun too. It doesn't have to be literature there's nothing wrong with
fluff. The important thing is that they see you getting pleasure from reading.
7. Bend rules when reading is involved.
Many voracious readers were created after bedtime. Letting bedtimes slide if and only if they are reading is a great
motivator once children are reading independently. When kids are younger the simple act of reading one more
chapter with them, or choosing one extra picture book can send a great message.
8. Never force feed reading.
Avoid using reading as a punishment. This can make a child who loves reading into a child who associates it with
being in trouble.
9. When they find an irresistible book, help them find more just like it!
When my son gets into a book series I reserve the next books at the library before he is done with the first. Having
that next helping right there is such a great tool for keeping the momentum going.
10. If they are struggling, pay attention and advocate on their behalf.
Learning disabilities like dyslexia, behavioral issues, and even emotional upsets can contribute to reluctant or
struggling readers. If you think that your child may have more than a lack of interest and be struggling with reading,
talk to your child's classroom teacher and/or pediatrician. They will be able to help you find the right interventions and
help for your child. After you figure out the issue, you can get back to reading for fun.

Not every child will turn into an adult who reads for fun. Parents can follow every step here and still have a child who
prefers the outdoors, likes music more than stories, or just doesn't find the act of reading enjoyable. But as a parent, I
know that I want to create the strongest foundation for my children and these steps are the foundation for raising
readers who will read for fun.
This is my plan to get my kids reading for fun. What is yours? Tell us on the Scholastic Parents Facebook page!
Learn more about Open a World of Possible, our mission to inspire a love for reading, here.

HOME > BOOKS & READING > READING RESOURCES & HELP > AGES 3-5 > MILESTONES &
EXPECTATIONS >

Raise A Reader: A Parent Guide to Reading for Ages

3-5
Keep your kids reading with our guide to great book lists, book-related articles, and
activities for children aged 3-5.
ByZo Kashner
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This Guide Contains

Your Preschooler Discovers Letters and Words
Reading Activities for Ages 3-5
Online Literacy for Ages 3-5
Book Lists
Related Content

Your Preschooler Discovers Letters and Words

by Zo Kashner

Most Preschoolers Will: Know the names of their favorite books; hold a book correctly and

turn pages; recall familiar words and phrases in favorite books, pretend to read books; know the
difference between a random squiggle and a letter or number.
Some Preschoolers Will: Recognize and write some letters and numbers; name letters that
begin certain words, make up rhymes or silly phrases.

Some Preschoolers Might Even: Predict what might happen next in a story, read and write
their names and some familiar words, retell stories that they know.
Literacy doesnt start only when your child starts school. From birth, babies and children are gathering
skills theyll use in reading. The years between ages 3 and 5 are critical to reading growth, and some
5-year-olds are already in kindergarten.
The best way to instill a love for and interest in reading is to simply read to your child.And yet, many
parents dont. Reading gives you the opportunity for close bonding with your child, and it also provides
a window into a world of literacy that your child is about to enter.
As your child goes from saying her first sentences to speaking in paragraphs, you will start to see
exciting milestones develop with reading. Your child will begin to recognize print on the street, stop
signs, familiar store signs, and the address posted on your home.

Talk About Text

A text-rich environment for preschoolers lays the groundwork for reading success. Its not just about
having books in the home, although thats a great start. You can also start talking about letters,
numbers, and words on packages and signs.
Help your child see how text is already a part of his daily life. Point out the name of his favorite cereal.
Show him the labels on clothing. Show him the different parts of a birthday card or invitation.
When you are out and about, play games involving letter and number recognition. Can your child tell
you any of the letters in the supermarket sign? Can she read the serving amount on a packaged
snack? She will be delighted to understand more about her world but dont push her delight.
Developing text awareness should never be a chore.

Be Aware of Problems
Are you concerned that your child might have a learning disability? As with almost any disability, early
intervention can prevent problems in the future. In the preschool years, speech delays are much more
noticeable than the learning disabilities that may affect a childs efforts to read. Ask your pediatrician
for advice if you are concerned that your child is speech delayed.
Most school districts will not diagnose reading disabilities until first grade. However, there are signs
that you can look for earlier. If your 5-year-old cant hear the rhyme in two simple words, or cannot
differentiate between a letter and a random squiggle, this may be an area of development youll want
to keep an eye on.

Reading Activities for Ages 3-5

by Zo Kashner

1. Fun With Letters

Children enjoy copying words out onto paper. Write your childs name and have him copy it himself
with alphabet stamps, stickers, or magnets. Encourage him to write his own words using the letters.
Your child will write letters backwards, spell seemingly randomly, and may hold his marker strangely
its all good at this age when a child wants to communicate in writing of any kind.
2. What Word Starts With
The letter-sound connection is one of the first steps to reading. Play a guessing game about your
childs favorite words. What letter does p-p-p-pirate start with? How about M-m-mommy? Once
your child guesses one correctly, see how many words you can come up with together that start with
the same letter.
3. Your Child the Author
Three-year-olds can be chatty, and by age 4, it can be hard to get a word in edgewise. Take advantage
of your childs interest in talking by writing a book together. Start out with something simple, like
describing a fun day at a park or visiting friends. Staple a few pieces of paper together, and write out
one or two of your childs sentences on each page. Then, read the story to her and let her illustrate it.
4. A Different Way to Read
Reading to your child is great but whats even better is something called dialogic reading. Thats
when you ask your child to participate in the story. Before turning the page, ask your child what he
thinks will happen next. You can also ask your child what other way the book could have ended. For
example, with the classic bookCorduroy, what would have happened if the little girl hadnt come back
to take Corduroy home from the toy store?
5. Take Letters Outside
Kids are tactile and enjoy few activities more than poking things with a stick. Many preschools
encourage kids to make letters out of Play Doh or draw them into sand or clay. The next time you are
out in the park, or at the beach, or in the snow, use your surroundings to play with letters. Take turns
writing letters in the snow, dirt, or sand.
6. Just the Facts

Try getting your child interested in nonfiction books. At the library or bookstore, find books on your
childs favorite topics. Cars, dinosaurs, dogs, and other topics are covered in on-level books with plenty
of pictures, designed especially for kids this age.

Online Literacy for Ages 3-5

by Zo Kashner

Using your computer, smart phone, or tablet computer is a special treat for your child. Try some of
these literacy-building activities to turn your childs fun time into an educational opportunity.
Reading on Your Phone or Tablet
There are many classic books that your child can either read or have read to him as apps on your
phone. Look for these popular titles:

The Monster at the End of This Book (iPhone and iPad)

The Going to Bed Book (iPhone and iPad)
The Cat and the Hat (Android, iPhone, and iPad
Little Critter: Just Big Enough (Android, iPhone, and iPad)

Plus, you might want to look into Tales to Go, a subscription-based app that streams over 900 stories
for kids ages 3-11 with constant updates (iPhone and iPad).

Word and Letter Games on Your Phone or Tablet

To build the sound-letter connection and practice sight words and spelling, try these apps:

Scholastic's Books and Games Apps are based on popular characters and series that kids

love. Your preschooler might especially like Go, Clifford, Go!

Scribble Press (and the Scribble Press app on iTunes) is a multimedia creativity platform for

creating, sharing and publishing stories.

Build a Word by WordWorld: Based on the PBS Kids television show, users can select letters
to build words to identify images of ducks, sheep, pigs, and more. (iPad, iPod Touch, and
iPhone).

FirstWords: Animals: You can use phonics rather than letter names to spell animal names, plus
choose upper- or lower-case letters. (iPad, iPod Touch, and iPhone).
Interactive AlphabetABC Flashcards :An interactive image brings each letter to life. For
example, with X, your child can play a screen image of a xylophone. (iPad, iPod Touch, and
iPhone)