At some point in your life, you've probably played the game "I Spy." It's perfect for boring waits at the grocery store, or long car rides. But with a little tweaking, the game can also help kids practice a key first grade concept...syllables. Here's how to play:
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!
More activities for reading:
Get Some Punctuation Practice
Knowing when to use a period or a question mark is important in third grade reading. Here is a fun activity that will give your child some punctuation practice.
Play: Syllable I Spy!
At some point in your life, you've probably played the game "I Spy." It's perfect for boring waits at the grocery store, or long car rides. But with a little tweaking, the game can also help kids practice a key first grade concept...syllables. Here's how to play:
3 Ways to Practice Getting the Main Idea
Understanding the main idea of a paragraph is an important part of the third grade language arts curriculum, but if can be tough for beginning readers. Here's three exercises you can do at home to help your child to see the forest through the trees!
The Build-a-Word Card Game: Better than Go Fish!
Compound words may look hard at first, but things get easier if kids can spot two smaller words that they already know. Want to add a little "holy moly!" to something that can feel ho hum? This card game will help you practice making compound words-- and have some fun while you're at it!
Make Fabric Letters
Preschoolers love playing games! They especially like games with hands on pieces to move around and manipulate. Make this set and give your kid a chance to play with a cool collection of pieces, and with letter sounds at the same time.
Lace the ABCs!
Lacing is a great way to practice hand-eye coordination, which will help later with writing. Turn it into a fun preschool art project, by stringing up some ABC's!
Make Peek-a-Boo Books
Does your preschooler love to play hide-and-seek? Is he always trying to name things he doesn't know the words for? Then this is the activity for you! Build a peek-a-boo book and give your child a fun vocabulary and reading boost, on the fly!
Get Metaphor and Simile Savvy Through Writing
How do literary devices work? Here's a review of simile, metaphor, and personification, and a fun, creative writing activity to make things like metaphor a piece of cake!
Leprechaun Treasure Hunt!
This hunt for leprechaun gold is so much fun, kids won't even realize they're working their reading muscles at the same time.
Play with Characters...and Writing!
Who are the people young readers meet in their books? How do authors help us know what these characters are like? This reading and writing activity will help your first grader build important comprehension skills that she'll need in second and third grade, too.
