As children become better readers and spellers they learn that a letter or group of letters can have different sounds in different words. The y at the end of cry says /eye/ and the y at the end of sunny says /ee/.

Knowing about "silent e" unlocks another secret to being a good speller. When silent e is added to many short vowel words, the vowel becomes long. Long vowels say their names.

Word searches help children recognize words more effectively when they read. They can also reinforce spelling.

Kids like puzzles. Successfully decoding a secret message gives kids a great feeling of accomplishment. While having fun your child will also be working on identifying and writing the initial letter in a word, important skills for reading and spelling.

Kids like puzzles. Successfully decoding a secret message gives kids a great feeling of accomplishment. While having fun your child will also be working on identifying and writing the initial letter in a word, important skills for reading and spelling.

Knowing about "silent e" unlocks another secret to being a good speller. When silent e is added to many short vowel words, the vowel becomes long. Long vowels say their names.

Your child may need help reading the words on the word list but encourage him or her to find the picture matches independently. Children use context clues, such as pictures, when they read to develop their vocabulary.

Solve the puzzle using words for things you find in a typical neighborhood or community. Crossword puzzles can be a fun way to practice vocabulary, writing, spelling and reasoning skills.

Word searches like this help reinforce spelling skills.

Help your child to play this word game by timing him or her, checking spellings, and providing encouragement.

Have your child create illustrations or fashion arts and crafts that illustrate Grimms' Fairy Tales.

Enjoy discovering adjectives with this easy game using on your child's favorite books and stories.

Play this fun word game to practice consonant blends and digraphs.

Use charades to demonstrate to your child how adding a different suffix can change the meaning of a word.

Demonstrate to your child how adding the letter E to the end of a word can create a completely new word.

Familiarize your child with common consonant blends.

Play the classic card matching game, Concentration, to help your child recognize antonyms.

Play the classic card matching game, Concentration, to help your child recognize words that rhyme.

Play this card shuffle game to teach your child sentence structure.

Use each letter in your child's name to inspire poetry.

Help your child write haiku about the things he loves in nature.

Be there to help your child create an illustrated book of sentences she has built up from a single word.

The fabulous world of fables is ready to inspire your young author to become a fabulist.

Your child’s imagination will be the main ingredient when he creates his own “recipes” for this activity.

Let the luck of the draw help shape your child's storytelling skills.

This activity is a fun, creative way for your child to gain experience building compound words.

Encourage your child to learn the duties of government by asking her what she would do if she were in charge.

Help your child develop her ability to recognize and imitate patterns.

Have your child write a letter to the President. It's a great way for her to gain writing practice and learn about current events.

Exercise your child's imagination and body.

Stretch your imagination with this family-friendly word game.

Here's a creative writing activity: write a "dog-tionary" to define words from a canine perspective.

There's a mystery afoot in your neighborhood! With a camera, notebook, and an active imagination, your child will be a super (writing and reading) sleuth!

Learning to read is one of the most important skills your child needs for school and life success. Start at home, now, to encourage growth.

Choose children’s books wisely with these helpful criteria.

Encourage a love of reading in your child with these ten suggestions from The National Head Start Association.

Research shows that children who read a lot have better vocabularies than their peers who read little. No surprise there, but the real revelation is that the avid readers have higher cognitive abilities, better reading ability, verbal intelligence and practical knowledge of the world.

Help your child learn to write well (and enjoy doing it) with these 10 expert tips.

Are you a spelling champ or spelling-challenged? Find out the secrets of good spellers.

The gap between girls and boys may be less about reading ability than about attitudes. Literacy expert Carolyn Jaynes answers the question: How can we make reading more fun for boys?

Success in second grade requires a child to be a much more independent learner than she was in first grade. Is your child ready?

Show your child that books and reading are important.

Pass time with your child by taking turns creating alliterative sentences for each letter of the alphabet.

When caught in traffic or waiting, pose a question and ask your child to answer it in rhyme.

Offer your child opportunities to practice writing and spelling.

Assist your child in learning weekly spelling words using this technique.

Cure boredom and strengthen spelling with the classic car game.

Playing this guessing game with your child might inspire her future.

Encourage your child to use descriptive language.

Encourage your child to keep a journal to express his feelings.

Show your child how reading and writing are useful in everyday life.

Encourage your child to develop his poetic sensibilities with this game of similes.

Help your child plan his week with a homemade calendar.

When dinner isn’t quite ready, use this activity that gives her writing practice and occupies her time while she waits to dig in.

Provide your child with plenty of opportunities to read to younger children.

Leave notes around the house for your child and encourage her to do the same for you.

If you've got an enthusiastic reader (or would like to nurture one!), get the ball rolling with a kids' book club.

A family blog can be just the start to a junior journalist's career.

Use a child's natural inventiveness to inspire poetry.

Reading aloud to your eight-year-old exercises his vocabulary and comprehension skills. And even big kids enjoy cuddle time!

Don't let writing be a bore. Show your child the power of her words.

Reluctant writer? Make writing relevant with these fun journal topics.

Help your child start a journal for writing down his ideas and feelings.

Encourage your child to read books that are easy for her in order to build her reading fluency.

Learn how to build a library of age-appropriate books your child will love.

When you listen to your new reader read aloud, try not to correct her mistakes right away.

Explore the different sections of nonfiction books and their uses.

Go to the library to find and check out all the books written by a favorite author.