Making Reading a Hands-On Experience

Crafting inspired by books is a wonderful way to deepen your child's connection to the stories they read. And if the emphasis is put on crafting it can remove the pressures of reading, making it a far more enjoyable experience.

The many benefits include:

• Enhanced Comprehension

• Increased Engagement

• Improved Fine Motor Skills

• Boosted Confidence

• Positive Association with Reading

Kids Carousel

Making reading a hands-on experience can not only spark creativity but deepen your child's connection to the stories they love. These activities not only enhance comprehension, but they can also make reading a memorable and enjoyable part of their day.

Story-Inspired Bookmarks: Your reluctant reader can create personalized bookmarks featuring characters, symbols, or quotes from their favourite book. They can draw, colour, and use stickers to bring their design to life.

Book Cover Art: Encourage your reluctant reader to design their own book cover for a story they love. They can use paints, markers, or collage techniques to create a cover that reflects the book’s themes and characters.

Scene Dioramas: Build a diorama of a favourite scene from a book using a shoebox, paper, and small toys or figures. This craft allows children to visualize and recreate the setting and events of the story.

Character Masks: Create masks of the characters from a book using paper plates, paper, carboard and markers. Your child can wear the masks to act out scenes, bringing the story to life through role-play.

Story Quilts: Make a “story quilt” by drawing or painting key scenes from a book on individual squares of fabric or paper. Once the squares are complete, you can connect them to create a quilt (storyboard) that tells the story visually.

Call to Action

This week’s call to action is to get creative. I would recommend starting with one of the above and banking the others for the future.

Story quilts are great fun, even when done on paper. You can focus on one square a week, adding to the quilt as each is finished. There is no limit to this as the paper and fabric can always be added to.

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