Turning Reading Into Playtime

Welcome to Tiny Steps to Confident Readers.

Over the next six weeks, we’ll focus on helping your child build reading confidence, one small, achievable step at a time.

Before we dive in, here’s your Progress Tracker so you always know where you are:

Week-by-Week Progress Tracker

• Week 1: Tiny Moments. Big Confidence. (Past Issue)

• Week 2: The Right Book Matters More Than the Right Level (Past Issue)

• Week 3: Turning Reading Into Playtime (You Are Here)

• Week 4: Every Tiny Reading Win Counts

• Week 5: How to Build a Gentle Reading Habit

• Week 6: Keeping the Confidence Growing

Week 3: Turning Reading Into Playtime

When a child avoids reading, it’s rarely because they dislike stories.

It’s usually because reading feels like a chore.

Rigid expectations. Sitting still. Getting it "right."

But children are wired for play.

And the fastest way to rebuild a connection with books is to make reading feel playful again.

This Week’s Tiny Step:

Turn reading sessions into playful adventures.

This week, you’re not just reading words but stepping into the story.

You might:

• Act out a scene together.

• Take turns pretending to be different characters.

• Change your voice to match the mood or emotion of the page.

Reading doesn’t have to mean sitting still and reading silently.

It can mean laughing, moving, acting, imagining.

And when it feels like play, the fear of "getting it wrong" fades.

Practical Ways to Bring Play Into Reading

• Pick a "silly voice" day. Let your child read in their best pirate, robot, or dragon voice.

• Act out the ending. After reading a page or two, act out how you think the story should finish.

• Story scavenger hunt. Find a word or object in the book ("Where’s the red balloon? Who’s wearing a hat?").

Small invitations to play open up big doors to confidence.

Reflection for Parents and Carers

• Notice when your child’s energy changes.

• Notice when they start to laugh, move, or suggest ideas.

• That’s the moment their guard drops—and learning begins.

You're not just reading.

You're making memories they’ll carry forever.

This Week’s Gentle Challenge:

Choose one playful reading idea this week—and try it together.

No rules.

No outcomes.

Just playful connection through stories.

Tiny steps today. Big confidence tomorrow.

Next week, we'll explore why celebrating small wins is far more powerful than chasing perfect performance.

You're doing more than teaching reading.

You're teaching joy.