A year ago, I wrote a fun little story for my kids, hoping that it would spark their interest in reading. Now, one year later, my 3yr old’s reading level is truly astonishing. The thing is, we all want our kids to learn to read, and we know that in order to hold their interest, it means to make reading an exciting and engaging experience. The hard part is finding the tools in which to make it so. What I did was to create The Witchy-Po as an ebook on the iBookstore, so that the kids could see the words highlighted as they follow along to the story, and be drawn in by the pictures as they follow the words. But there are lots of other things we did too. Make a game out of it. Word games, for example, are a great way to get them interested. For instance, in the car, we play the ‘ing’ game: name words that end in “i-n-g”.

Just be creative. It is important to remember that fun in reading is not just about the words behind the story, but about the experience. Every child is different, they each have their own likes, and they will each learn and explore at their own pace. My 5yr old is taking her time compared to her younger sister, and as long as she is enjoying the experience, I have no worries she will be a capable reader soon.

Keep it fun and interesting,
T