Everyone's heard of taking a dog for a walk. But how about an illustration? Kindergarten teachers have a technique, called a "Picture Walk", that teaches emerging readers to use pictures as clues to understand the meaning of a story, and guess at unfamiliar words. Here's how it works:

Once beginning readers know the individual sounds that letters make, they need to learn how to blend them and how to break them apart. This activity will help them practice. Readers, ho!

This scavenger hunt is like a revamped version of the childhood game, "Hot and Cold". Instead of telling the seeker if he's getting "warmer" or "colder" as he narrows in on a hidden object, you'll use words like up, down, over, and under.

Building fluency is the key to learning to read smoothly, and learning sight words can help. This activity lets you and your child go label crazy! You'll pick a set of words to work with, and then play a series of games to help your child remember what they look like.

Let your child play with scissors! Put her to work, creating a book that will keep her busy, and help her practice her letters, too.

Most preschoolers love to pretend. You can use this to your advantage, with an activity that will make them feel all grown up. As your child plays photographer, snapping pictures around the yard, he'll also be practicing recognizing letter sounds, which will help him learn to read.

This cookie dough handles like modeling clay, but it also makes delicious cookies. Use this activity to strengthen your child's alphabet skills, to show him where to sit for dinner, or just to have an unexpected treat.

Most little kids hate to sit still. You can use this knowledge to your advantage, with this cute game that lets your child practice making words, while acting like a Mexican jumping bean!

Want to help your child learn how to read? Put down the books and pick up the fishing rod! This silly game is a fun way to introduce and reinforce sight words--by fishing for them!

Have you ever played the carnival game where you try to toss chips into a cup, to win a fabulous prize? This version may not snag your kid a human-sized stuffed giraffe, but it will give them a boost with writing and spelling. So get out those paper cups!