March is National Reading Month: Fun Ideas for Parents
Tips for parents to make reading more fun (and support what they are learning at school)
In the spirit of National Reading Month, experts from Reading Eggs™ – the national sponsor of Read Across America – is sharing great ideas for parents to celebrate reading with their child.
Literacy expert Sheila Robitaille, who leads professional development for Reading Eggs has these fun ideas for parents:
- Create a fun space "for reading only." Use pillows, blankets, treats, etc. to make it cozy and inviting.
- Let kids be the teacher - have them read to you as if they are the teacher and ask you questions about what they read.
- Connect reading to a fun activity - do an art project, cook food, take a nature walk or do something fun related to what was read in the story.
- Turn on the subtitles - have subtitles running during kids' favorite TV shows or movies. They will tend to watch the text and naturally read along.
Quotes from Sheila Robitaille, literacy expert and Professional Development Director at Reading Eggs
“Reading is fun, but kids love it when Mom or Dad make it a game. One of my favorite ways to do this is to let the child be the teacher. A little role-reversal gives them a chance to show off their skills. The hard part is not correcting them, just get into the play-acting of being a kid and enjoy the moment.”
“Like any skill, the more senses involved, the deeper the learning. That’s why mixing up games and activities around reading time can supercharge the fun while embedding those skills a little more deeply.”
Other Helpful Links
This article gives advice to parents on picking a book their child will love.
Teachers can find additional resources, including a book list and a downloadable activity sheet by signing up for a free account here: https://readingeggs.com/readacrossamerica/.
Comments from Katy Pike, Chief Product Officer at 3P Learning, the Publisher of Reading Eggs.
“At Reading Eggs, we believe every child deserves the chance to become a confident reader. Working with Read Across America allows us to amplify that mission and support educators in creating classrooms where a love of reading can truly flourish.”
More Information
About National Reading Month
For 60 years, National Reading Month has been a celebration of reading that encourages children, families and communities to make a daily habit of reading.
About Read Across America
Read Across America, sponsored this year by Reading Eggs, is also dedicated to a full year of reading with 12 months of recommended titles, authors, and teaching resources.
Read Across America, launched in 1998 by the National Education Association, has grown to become the nation’s largest celebration of literacy. Every year in March during National Reading Month, schools, libraries, book sellers, and other groups run special Read Across America programs and redouble their public efforts to boost students’ enthusiasm for reading.
About Reading Eggs
Reading Eggs — used by 20 million students and implemented in 18,000 schools worldwide — is proven to develop strong phonics and early reading skills through highly engaging lessons that are easy to follow and that match learners' abilities. The Reading Eggs library includes over 4,000 digital books.
Teacher-developed ready to use literacy activities applicable to any kind of book
PDF 2.6 MB
A list of digital books aligned to the RAA themes
PDF 3.7 MB
For more information or to speak with experts and teachers, contact:
Alyssa Reynolds