Q: What are some other ways to encourage reading beyond books for young grade schoolers?
Skills
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While reading to children is one of the best ways to encourage an interest in reading, there are many fun ways to encourage reading beyond books. One of my favorite ways is through storytelling. Eeboo’s “Write Me a Story” helps children create their own stories by providing them with beautifully illustrated stickers that can be placed in any sequence (www.eeboo.com). The stickers are placed at the top of each page and used as inspiration, and there is space below for children to write their story. Two other great products that encourage storytelling are Rory’s Story Cubes (8 years+) and The Storymatic Kids (5 years+), which provide story prompts to help children create imaginative stories. LeapFrog also has some great reading and writing apps, including ebooks, games, and interactive storybooks for the LeapPad and LeapPad Ultra.
Jennie Ito, Ph.D.
Child Development Expert
Jennie Ito is a mother of two and a child development consultant who specializes in children’s play and toys. Before becoming a consultant for LeapFrog, she was an intern at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, and later worked as a content expert for the Association of Children’s Museum’s “Playing for Keeps” Play Initiative. Jennie earned her doctorate degree in developmental psychology at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada.