Reading Activities

PHONICS/VOCABULARY Based Activities - - -

LOWER ELEMENTARY :

  • 'Visit' each room of your home looking for examples of items beginning with certain letters of the alphabet (Ex. C is for carrot, carton, couch, car, comforter, cable, cart, case . . .)
  • Mold letters (or even numbers) out of PlayDoh - (use a paper plate or pizza pan for your base)
  • Use mini items to spell words (marshmallows, skittles, cotton balls, toothpicks, etc.)
  • Pour salt or flour (or even rice/pancake mix . . . ) into a pizza pan - - - use your finger or a straw to spell out family members' names, simple words, Words Their Way lists, vocabulary words, spelling lists . . .)
  • If you have magnetic letters, create words using the letters. Practice word families by having your child create the family (ie. an) then ask your child to create new rhymes as you have them change the beginning sound (ie. add a t to an and you have tan, change the t to a p and ask your child to read the new word.).
  • Using a magazine or newspaper - - - highlight specific letters, prefixes/suffixes, word families, dolch/frequency words, proper/common nouns, capital letters, consonants/vowels - long or short, or syllables-
  • Play the alphabet game riding down the road by looking for the letters of the alphabet in order on signs and license plates.

UPPER ELEMENTARY :

  • Select a character from a specific book, TV Show, or cartoon . . . Create a character card (like a baseball sports card with a picture on one side and description on side two) for the character . . . consider making a whole set for all of the characters in a book or show.
  • Read a newspaper article or story out loud or silently to yourself - - - Retell the events to a parent or friend or guardian . . . Ask them ?s and then reverse the roles . . . allow someone else to read and retell...Retelling is very important.
  • Using a magazine or newspaper - - - highlight specific parts of speech using different colors for different ones. Make a chart of how many or a list of the parts found.
  • Create a board game using cardboard from an unused box - - - create game cards, spinner and directions, etc. - - - don't forget to include an answer key. A generic board can be created and multiple card sets for varied reading topics can be created to play different types of games (parts of speech, literary elements, setting, theme, author's point of view . . . )
  • As a vocabulary enhancer - - - open a box of crayons and markers - - - make up NEW names for the colors . . . think of objects or feelings the colors bring to mind (ex. "Stop Sign Red" is the new name and the feelings it relates or brings to mind are: envy, rage, hot, anger, halt, discontinue, cease, terminate . . . )