Baby

Activity

Topsy-turvy reader

 Turn baby's favorite book upside down and start to read aloud.
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Activity

Hello. Goodbye.

 Your baby will giggle and coo when you play this variation on "peek-a-boo."
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Tip

Echo!

 Playing echo games will get your child ready to say real words.
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See all baby reading & writing >Adobe PDF File

New Toddler

Activity

Meet your feet!

 Play Simon Says to teach your child the parts of the body, from head to feet.
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Tip

What is a speech act?

 Speech acts help speakers accomplish things in the world. These include requests (“More milk?”) and demands (“No night-night!”) from children, as well as from adults (“Hush!”). Interestingly enough, parents are seldom precise in their requests.
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Activity

Touch your nose

 Play this little game to help your toddler learn new words, and have some silly fun!
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See all new toddler reading & writing >Adobe PDF File

Toddler

Video

Reading to toddlers

 How do you read to a squirmy toddler? LeapFrog Literacy Expert Dr. Carolyn James has help for parents of toddlers who won’t sit still!
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Tip

Name that scribble

 Engage your child in art using different media. Her scribbles may mean more than you think!
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Activity

Who said that?

 Using different voices while you read emphasizes that stories have different characters.
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See all toddler reading & writing >Adobe PDF File

Curious Twos

Activity

Do the ABC hop

 Drop and hop your way to perfect letter recognition.
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Printable

Puppy playtime

 Have fun exploring directional words in this doggone adorable printable.
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Tip

Read it again

 Toddlers love to hear the same story over and over again, and they learn from repetition.
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See all curious twos reading & writing >Adobe PDF File

Preschool

Printable

More to the story

 This printable activity encourages your child to consider why simple events occurred. The ability to conclude why simple events occurred is an important Cognitive Development skill.
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Activity

Build a word

 Create new words by changing the beginning sound.
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Video

Alphabet scoop!

Knowledge of the alphabet at school entry is one of the best predictors of later reading achievement. This video gives you tips on making letter learning fun.
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See all preschool reading & writing >Adobe PDF File

Pre-K

Printable

Short I: Word families with Izzy

 Children who understand word families have an easier time learning to spell and sound out words. This printable activity gives your child practice with short-I words.
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Activity

Story go round

 This game is perfect for a campfire, slumber party or long car ride. Kids of all ages can play together.
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Activity

Odd word out

 Help your child recognize words that rhyme.
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See all pre-K reading & writing >Adobe PDF File

Kindergarten

Activity

Books by me

 Making their own books gives children confidence in their writing skills.
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Printable

Rhyming rock

 Children can rock out to a rhyming song they make up with word families. Children who understand word families have an easier time learning to spell and decode words.
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Printable

Silent E telephone

 This printable helps your child unlock the secret of the "silent e," a key to good spelling.
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See all kindergarten reading & writing >Adobe PDF File

Grade 1

Activity

Doggy dictionary

 Dig into the dog's-eye view with this creative writing romp.
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Printable

Ready, set, write word game

 This printable prepares kids for time-senstive test taking.
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Printable

Treasure islands

 Discover a trove of knowledge by labeling islands with the right name.
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See all grade 1 reading & writing >Adobe PDF File

Grades 2-3

Activity

Acrostic poem

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

Neighborhood crossword

 Build budding voacabularies and boost reasoning skills with this fun puzzle.
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Activity

Photo mysteries

 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.
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See all grades 2-3 reading & writing >Adobe PDF File