1. Visit the Library
Create a library ritual: go to the library on the same day each week, or attend a weekly storytime with a friend.
Many public libraries have bilingual or foreign language storytimes as well!
2. Listen to Audiobooks
If you’re taking a long car trip, pick a few audiobooks to listen to on the drive.
Engage in dialogic reading just as you would for a book: ask your child questions like “Why do you think he did that?” and “How do you think that made her feel?” to invite them to think critically about the story.
3. Read a Chapter Book
Pick a chapter book to read aloud to your child over several weeks. Select a book 2+ reading levels above what your child can read themselves. A child’s reading level doesn’t catch up to their listening level until adolescence!
This means that children can listen to and appreciate more complicated storylines, vocabulary and themes than they might be able to read on their own.
4. Send Postcards – to yourself!
If you’re going on a trip, mail postcards home from each place you visit.
Invite your child to write their favorite memory from that place on the postcard, or take dictation so they can watch you writing their words down.
When you get home, you’ll have a collection of memories from your trip waiting in the mailbox!
5. Swap Books with Friends
Invite your child to pick a few books they’re ready to part with, and swap books with a friend!
When you’re done, pass them along to another friend, or donate them to a Little Free Library box in your neighborhood.
