Registration
As families arrive, take a moment to get a little information.You may be surprised and saddened to discover how many children have little or no books at home. This simple form may give you the information you need to consider further literacy missions ministry opportunities.
Please share your registration data with us as well. This valuable information helps this ministry to better serve those with literacy needs.
Literacy Connexus 4802 Highway 377 S., Suite 14 Fort Worth, Texas, 76116
Reading Activities
Reading to children takes center stage. You may want to also include some of the fun activities described below. If parents and children leave with the idea that reading is fun, they will be more likely to continue the activity at home.
Modeled Reading
Volunteer readers have the opportunity to captivate children. At the same time, parents will observe their own important role in this shared, interactive activity.
Tips for Volunteer Readers
1. Talk about the front cover of the book to create interest.
2. Hold the book so the children can see as you read.
3. Point to the words as you read them.
4. Ask a question or two as the book is read.
5. Read with much expression!
6. Use voices for characters, etc.
Make the book come alive for the children!
Parent and Child Time
Practice makes perfect! Make sure there is a designated place for families to read their new books together.
Storytelling
Storytellers can get children excited about reading when they make stories come alive. Recruit animated readers for this assignment. The local library may be able to connect you with outstanding volunteer storytellers.
Games
Many games for young children can be given a reading-related twist. Adapt your own favorites and check out those listed below.
Letter Names Go Fish
Materials: 2 sets of ABC flash cards
Objective: Children will use recognition of letter names to try to gather pairs of lettered cards.
How to play: Play in a small group (no more than 6 students). Give each player 4 cards. Play will move clockwise. The first player (the asker) asks someone in the group, “Do you have the letter _?” If yes, the 2nd player gives the card, and the 1st player puts the pair down as a set. The 1st player may then take another turn until he/she gets go fished. If no, the 2nd player says, “Go fish,” and the 1st player draws one card from the pile in the middle; play proceeds to the next child. The first player to pair up all of their ABC cards is the winner.
Variation: Letter Sounds Go Fish
Same set up and play, but children ask, “Do you have the letter that makes the _ sound?” If the letter has two sounds, like vowels or the letter C, help the child give both sounds as a clue.
Variation: Sight Word Go Fish
Same set up and play, but with 2 sets of Sight Word flash cards.
Letter Name Bingo
(This FREE Bingo board came from ReadingResource.net. Check out their website for additional reading activities for your fair.)
Materials: Bingo game boards/sheets, plastic/wooden tokens (or pens for marking), teacher board.
How to play: Give each player a game board and a marker. Randomly call the names of letters, marking them on your teacher board as you go along. Specify whether the letter is uppercase or lowercase. Players use tokens or put an X through the letters called. Player announces, “Bingo!” when he has 5 across, 5 down, or 5 diagonal.
Variation: Letter Sound Bingo
Same set up and play, but using letter sounds.
Note: If the above versions are too easy for your group try one of these variations:
- Say a word and ask students to cover the first letter. Example: “What letter makes the 1st sound you hear in the word moon?”
- Say a word and ask what letter sound they hear at the end. Example: “What letter sound do you hear at the end of the word rug?” This may be more difficult for young players.
Variation: Sight Word Bingo
Same set up and play, but using boards with sight words.
Letter Name Beach Ball Toss
Materials: 1 beach ball with letters
Objective: Children will recognize and say letter names in this high energy toss game.
How to play: Have the players form a circle. Toss the ball to any player. The player must say the name of the letter that their right thumb (or choose any finger) lands on. After the player says the letter they toss it to another player. Make sure the same students aren’t getting the ball over and over.
Variation: Letter Sound Beach Ball Toss
Same set up and play but with letter sounds.
Note: The two variations above can be combined by asking players to say both the name and the sound of the letter. Or, go a little crazy and ask the catcher to say a word that starts with the letter.
Variation: Sight Word Beach Ball Toss
Same set up and play but with words.
ABC Fly Swatter Dash (Name or Sound)
Materials: Shower curtain liner with ABCs and 2 fly swatters. (Each letter should only be written once. You can chose to write each in upper and lowercase for a total of 52 letters on the curtain)
Objective: Students will demonstrate knowledge of letter names of sounds when they race to find a letter after it’s name or sound is said aloud.
How to play: Lay the curtain on the ground and divide students into two teams. Have the teams get into two separate lines. Give the first player from each team a fly swatter. Read a letter from the tablecloth. Students race to slap it with their fly swatter then say the letter aloud. The first team to get it receives a point. Both players hand off their fly swatter to the next teammate in line and go to the end. Begin the next round.
Note: If this is too easy and sight words too difficult, have children find the letter that makes the sound they hear at the beginning, middle , or end of a word. Example: “Find the letter that makes the sound you hear at the end of the word glad.”
Variation: Sight Word Fly Swatter
Materials: Plastic shower curtain liner with sight words, list of sight words, and 2 fly swatters
Same set up and play but with sight words.
What reading game suggestions do you have to share? Contact us.