Early Readers Reading Games

Alphabet Game

Materials: pencil, paper, magazines or crayons, colored pencils

This can be a game or it can be a book you make together. The idea is to find something that starts with each letter of the alphabet.

Examples: A = apple, ant, alligator

B = ball, book, beaver

C = carrot, crayon, cat

Rhyming Games

Materials: None

Rhyming helps children become aware of sounds. You can make up your own rhymes, such as “The old gray cat just caught a ____.” Have your child fill in the blank. You can sometimes fill in the blank with sensible answers, like rat, or other times use silly answers, like mat.

Examples:

My old, old dog just swallowed a __________.

Give me a break, don’t touch that _________.

Rhyming

Materials: Nursery Rhymes or books with rhyming text.

Read nursery rhymes to your children, until they know them by heart. Say them together in the car or on a walk. There are some wonderful nursery rhyme books with beautiful illustrations or pictures. Ask your librarian to help you find books with rhyming text, and reread them. Before you know it, your child will be finishing the rhyme or reading the next page. Coe Library has many books with rhyming text.

Story Making Text

Materials: None, unless you find a story so wonderful that you have to write it down.

Take a traditional story beginning such as “Once upon a time there was a little girl.” Discuss with your child all the different ways the story could be told. For example, the little girl could be poor, wealthy, smart, talented, or just like you. What kinds of experience would it be possible for her to have? Talk with your child and help him or her to develop a creative imagination. If you discover a story you really like, write it down and let your child illustrate it.