Tutor Information Literacy Games & Strategies

Tips for Promoting Reading and Literacy

You don't have to be a literacy expert to help children develop reading, writing and communication skills- all part of literacy. The following are some simple ideas for promoting reading and literacy that can be implemented in the Fresno READS program.

Be sure to engage children's imagination! If creation and imagination are involved, children will likely be excited and interested.

Create a Print-Rich Environment: Fill the space with colorful books and children's magazines. Include plenty of big-print, read-it-yourself books. Pop-up books can help younger children get interested in books. Children are also fascinated by "How things Work" books and books on favorite topics such as cars, airplanes, planets, and animals. Magazines with colorful pictures such as National Geographic are also a big hit. Create a cozy, inviting reading corner with bookshelves, bean bag chairs, a rug, and pillows.

Set Aside a Reading Time Each Day: Designate a half-hour time period when children can read on their own or to each other. Allow them to select the book of their choice or read a book from home or school. Let the children see staff reading their own books during this time.

Read Aloud: Have children help you select books to read aloud to the group. Be sure to include multi-cultural books. Books with chapters work well for older children so that you finish one chapter each time you read. Younger children may need simple story books. Select readers who can read with animation and enthusiasm. Children especially like it when a reader changes voices for different characters. Older children often make excellent readers.

Create Plays or Skits from Favorite Books: Have children work in small groups to create a play from a book they have read. Plays can be very simple, and put together in an hour or so. Plays can also be elaborate, week or month long projects, complete with costumes made by the children.

Assign "Reading Buddies": Have older and younger children read to each other on a regular basis. Give older children simple training about appropriate "reading coach" techniques.

Keep Journals: Give each child a small notebook and set aside a few minutes each day for them to write. Encourage children to write about thoughts and feelings as well as events of the day. Help children get started by giving them a question to answer such as: What is the best thing that happened to you today? If you could go back and do last week all over again, what would you do differently? What is the worst thing that happened to you today? Assign a staff person to regularly respond through individual conversations with children or comments in their journal. For more, see Dialogue Journals.