Take your little one on a literary journey to an interesting destination. Within the pages of a book you may go to the sea, to a circus, to Paris or to a ballgame. We would love to know where you "travel"?

 The box might include pens, pencils, crayons, makers, journals, notebooks, index cards, folders, or coloring pages.  These tools may help foster thinking about the illustrator's part in the reading experience. It is also a nice way to keep your little one organized and add more literacy opportunities to their book nook.

With your little one, discuss what makes a favorite book "good", write a word that describes how the story or characters make your child feel, or give the book stars and stickers. This is not only a fun activity, but will give you insight into what your child focuses on and helps develop early analytical skills.

Inscribe your child’s favorite books with a special note and the date. As your little one grows and you make room for new books, many special titles will be difficult to part with. An inscription, anecdote, or a picture on the inside cover turns those stories into special keepsakes that can be kept long after your little one has outgrown their early picture books.

As you discover new authors/books for your child’s library, add titles to an online wish list at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com or a local bookstore. Share the link with family/friends before birthdays and holidays to build your little one’s library, to keep a log of books to purchase, and to avoid duplicate titles.

Create a box of "reading props" for your child’s reading area or bookshelf. Your reading box might include flashlights, bookmarks, name-plates, puppets, magnifying glasses, or any other items you and your little one might use while reading together. Let us know what creative items you and/or your child decide to put in the new reading box.

Head to your local library and apply for a library card with your CHILD'S name on it. (You will need a valid ID.) Owning a library card gives children a sense of pride and ownership over books AND the library. We have even met babies who owned library cards before they could walk! If your library will not issue a card to your child, you can make one at home.

 Note: In Eastern Massachusetts, your library card not only gains you access to the library in your town, but also to other libraries in the Minuteman Library Network. One benefit? You can request library holdings (books, DVDs, etc.) to be sent to your branch for you to pick up when they arrive.

See what extra services the library in your area provides.

 "Children who have lived in book-filled homes prior to going to school are known to be scholastically advantaged for the REST OF THEIR LIVES." (Mem Fox)

Is there a basket, shelf or pile of books in your kitchen, family room, playroom, bedroom, bathroom, etc.?

This fun and informative virtual home link offers ideas on making homes more "book-rich".

All About Reading: Make Your Home Reading Central
www.scholastic.com

The seasons are changing across the globe, which offers fun opportunities for book sharing. If you are warming up, we recommend packing a basket with snacks, a blanket and a few favorite books for an outdoor “book picnic”. If you are cooling down, give your young ones blankets, pillows, flashlights and a few favorite books to make indoor reading forts.

Letters can be found all throughout nature, if you keep an eye out for them. The letters J-O-Y in this image are actually pieces of coral found at the beach. With your little one, search for at least one letter found in nature while you are outside this weekend. 

Does your little one have a book that he or she reads over and over again and can practically recite word for word? Set up a chair and invite your child to become the author of that book. You might ask your child to "read" the book to an audience, or you can ask your little "author" questions about the story, characters, or favorite pages. If you have a smart-phone, or video recorder, this is a great activity to catch on camera. This is also fun to try with a small group of children during a "play date" or at a preschool or daycare.

If you have not already, find (or begin) a book club. Typically our weekend literacy challenges involve young children, but this weekend, we are speaking to parents, educators and caregivers. Book clubs are a truly a win-win-win for adults who can participate. A book club inspires participants to finish at least one pleasure book a month knowing that a discussion will take place, builds in time face to face with friends at least one evening a month, and studies show that modeling reading in front of children impacts a child's perception of books in a positive manner. What is your book club reading this month? Note: Book clubs can also be created for children too!



Thank you Read-Write Gold Coast for sharing this beautiful book club themed image.

In school, your child will learn that ‘Reading Is Thinking’. Reading aloud gives children a chance to practice creating visual imagery and think about a story. This weekend, try reading a new book aloud - WITHOUT showing the pictures to your child. At the end of a vivid description, talk about how certain words make you think of a particular image. Using familiar items, descriptions, or experiences, help your little one visualize a character, setting, or activity. After you have modeled this kind of visualization, ask your child what he or she thinks about when hearing another description. Let your child know that when you are thinking of pictures to go along with words, you are turning on your 'inner illustrator'. At the end of this exercise, read the book together, looking at the pictures and marveling at how similar or creatively different your ideas were from the illustrations.

You can extend this exercise by providing paper, pencils, crayons, markers, etc. and asking your child to draw what the story looks like in his or her mind before reading the illustrated book together. You might even display the artwork in a story - inspired gallery with the name of the book written on the illustration.