As your little reader starts to recognize letters and their sounds, it’s time to introduce her to words. Sure, you could sit her down and start drilling her on sight words. But what’s the fun in that? Instead, let her understand the importance of words by helping her spot them in the world around her.

These games are designed to help your child move from a pictorial to a literate understanding of words.

Logo Match

As you and your child are going about your daily business, ask your child to point out signs that he recognizes. Pull over and take a quick picture of the name and logo for that company. For example, you might take a picture of the word “Target” along with their trademark bullseye. Other common pairings might be the Golden Arches with the word McDonalds, or any gas station logo with its name.

The important thing is that your child is familiar with the images. Print out the pictures of both the name and the logo and cut them apart. Begin by laying the cards out on the table, face up. Ask your child to match the name of the company with its logo. Then ask the child to spell the name while he’s looking at the picture.

Co-Pilot

If you want to keep your preschooler busy on a long car trip, give her a list of words to find in signs. Write the list in a pad of paper and give her a crayon. Start with very simple words that she will see often such as “exit” or “miles” or the state you are driving through. As she becomes more adept at matching words, try adding more complex words such as cities you might be passing or rivers you may drive over. Ask your child to cross off the word as she sees it, or, for much longer trips, ask her to count the number of times she notices the words on your list.

Big Help

Ask your child to help when you are cooking or doing tasks around the house. Ask the child to get a specific type of cereal, or baby food from the cupboard. Make sure that the item you are asking for has pictures on the front. For example, you might ask a preschool brother to get some strained pears for baby sister from the pantry. When he comes back with the correct container, point out the word “pears,” on the front nd praise him for his correct choice. If he chooses the wrong one, point out the incorrect word and prompt him to look for one that begins with the correct word.

These are just a few activities to help you show your child that words are all around him, leading him, guiding him, and helping him find his way home.

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