Game On: How to Make Reading Fun for Your Child

Reading is an essential skill that children need to develop in their early years to succeed in school and beyond. However, some children may find reading boring or difficult. That’s where games come in handy! By incorporating games into your child’s reading routine, you can encourage them to read more and make the process more enjoyable. Here are some games that you can play with your child to encourage them to read books:

Scavenger Hunt

Create a scavenger hunt with clues that lead your child to different books. For example, the first clue could read: “I’m a book about a boy wizard who goes to a magical school. Find me in the bookshelf!” The next clue could lead your child to a book about animals, and so on. This game not only encourages your child to read but also helps them develop problem-solving skills. As your child progresses in their reading abilities, you can make the clues more challenging.

Reading Relay

Set up a relay race with a pile of books at the end of each relay. Your child and their friends can take turns running to the pile of books, choosing one to read aloud, and then running back to tag the next person in line. The goal is to see how many books the team can read in a set amount of time. This game encourages teamwork and reading aloud, which helps with pronunciation and comprehension.

Book Bingo

Create a bingo card with different genres of books (such as mystery, fantasy, and non-fiction) and have your child mark off each square as they read a book in that genre. You can reward your child with a prize for completing a row or a full card. This game is an excellent way to expose your child to different types of books and genres and encourages them to explore books beyond their usual preferences.

Storytelling

Ask your child to choose their favorite book and have them retell the story in their own words. This game helps improve comprehension and encourages creativity. By retelling the story, your child can practice summarizing and identifying the main elements of a story. You can also encourage your child to add their own twists and turns to the story to make it even more engaging.

Reading Dictation

Yes, reading dictation is another game that can be used to encourage your child to read books. In this game, you read a sentence or a short paragraph from a book aloud, and your child writes it down as accurately as possible. This game helps improve reading comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, and handwriting skills. To make it more challenging, you can increase the length and complexity of the passages or introduce time limits for completing the dictation.

Word Scramble

Write out a sentence from a book on a piece of paper and scramble the words. Have your child unscramble the words to reveal the sentence. This game improves reading skills and encourages attention to detail. By unscrambling the words, your child can practice reading and identifying sight words and phonetic patterns.

Book Club

Start a book club with your child and a few of their friends. Each week, they can read a chapter from a chosen book and discuss it with the group. This game encourages social skills and improves reading comprehension. By discussing the book with their peers, your child can gain new perspectives and insights into the story and practice their critical thinking skills.

Book Charades

Act out scenes from a book and have your child guess which book it is. This game encourages imagination and improves reading comprehension. By acting out the scenes, your child can visualize the story and practice identifying key elements of the plot, such as characters and settings.

Mad Libs

Mad Libs is a word game where one person prompts another for a list of words to substitute for blanks in a story, before reading the story aloud. You can create your own Mad Libs by taking a favorite story and removing key words. Your child can then fill in the blanks with their own creative words. This game helps improve vocabulary and encourages creativity. Your child can also practice reading the story aloud with their unique word choices.

These are just a few of the many games you can play with your child to encourage them to read books. Remember to make reading fun and exciting by choosing books that your child is interested in and by setting aside dedicated time for reading each day. Here are some additional tips to help encourage your child to read:

1. Read aloud to your child: Reading aloud to your child helps build their vocabulary, comprehension, and listening skills. It also helps instill a love of reading by creating positive associations with reading.
2. Set a good example: Children learn by example, so make sure you set a good example by reading yourself. Show your child that reading is an enjoyable activity and something that you value by setting aside time to read for pleasure.
3. Create a reading-friendly environment: Make sure your home has a comfortable and inviting reading area with plenty of books to choose from. You can also decorate the reading area with posters or other materials that promote reading.
4. Celebrate reading milestones: Celebrate your child’s reading milestones, such as finishing a book or reaching a certain number of books read. You can reward them with small prizes or take them on a special outing.
5. Make reading a part of everyday life: Encourage your child to read throughout the day by incorporating reading into everyday activities, such as reading recipes while cooking or reading signs while out for a walk.

Or maybe, you can try encouraging reading by using technology. There are numerous applications that can be quite useful. One of them is Epic! It is a digital library app designed for kids under 12 years old. It provides access to over 40,000 books, audiobooks, and videos, including popular titles like Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Where the Wild Things Are. The app also includes personalized reading recommendations, progress tracking, and achievement badges to motivate kids to read.

In conclusion, by incorporating games into your child’s reading routine, you can make reading more enjoyable and encourage your child to read more books. Remember to choose books that your child is interested in and to set aside dedicated time for reading each day. By making reading a fun and exciting activity, you can help your child develop a love of reading that will serve them well throughout their life.