Take a bow!

Acting out a poem or story is a great way for a child to demonstrate comprehension and to connect emotion with the written word. Read a story or poem aloud to your child. Read it with feeling, making everything seem important. Then have your child act it out, either by himself or with puppets, a favorite line, exciting scene or the entire thing. Direct him to use his voice or facial expressions to show how the character is feeling.  Encourage him to create his own play from a story he has read or heard. It can be make-believe or from real life. Help him find or make the necessary props, then stage the play for the whole family to see!