The Gift of Words: Games

Play simple word games.

·         Try a yes-no game to teach about questions.  “Are you purple?”  “Can a tree talk?”  Let her try asking you questions.

·         Play a mystery game.  Give clues and let your child guess.  “It’s yellow.  We buy it at the grocery store.  You throw away the outside and eat the inside.”  Add clues until she guesses “banana.”  “She comes to our apartment every day.  She usually leaves something.  She wears a uniform.”  He guesses “mail carrier.”  Try reading a definition from a child’s dictionary and letting him guess the word.  Turn it around.  “Is a vehicle a person, a building, or a car?”

·         Play with categories, differences, and similarities.  “How is a banana different from an apple and an orange?  How are they alike?”

·         Sing simple songs and recite nursery rhymes together.

·         Enter into your child’s games.  Have fun playing house, with her playing the mommy and your son paying the daddy.  Talk about what different members of the family do.

Information provided by Illinois Early learning Website.  For related web resources go to illinoisearlylearning.org/tips.htm

Also, if you'd like to find out more information, games and websites to help your child get ready 2 read visit getreadytoreadclub.blogspot.com.