Reading Activities for Parents and Caregivers

Reading Activities for Parents, Caregivers or Homeschooler

Explore some of RIF's collections of best practices to encourage and motivate young readers. Hands-on activities, recommended book lists, strategies for parents and caregivers, alphabet coloring pages, and tips for reading aloud. These printable and downloadable resources support literacy development for a range of ages, abilities, and interests. Many of these materials are available in English and Spanish.

The first four resources are from RIF's library of Quick Guides for parents, educators, and volunteers. To see the complete set of Quick Guides click on this link: www.rif.org/literacy-network/resources/quick-guides.

These free resources are provided by generous supporters like you.
Learn more about RIF here.

1-64 of 64 results for All Resources

Helping Children Adjust to School (Pre-school and Elementary)

The transition from summer break to back-to-school can be difficult for both students and families...

How to Connect Home Literacy Practices to School Literacy Practices

Literacy development begins early in the home. Literacy is all around you and always present in your...

Reducing the Summer Slide

The “summer slide” refers to the weakening in children’s reading abilities that occurs during the...

Simple Things Families Can Do to Help Their Child Become a Reader

Here are ten simple tips that parents can follow to encourage their children to become readers.

Reading Aloud with Children of All Ages

Tips and strategies from Derry Koralek for reading aloud to children of all ages. This article is...

Chillin' Activities for a Winter Day (English)

Print this activity guide full of STEM connections to make the best use of being stuck inside in the...

Share the Message: Read!

This guide will help you and the children in your life build upon the many wonderful stories...

Book Character Word Search

Find and circle the names of familiar book characters from children's classics.

Preschoolers and Reading

The tips and strategies in this Reading Is Fundamental guide will help you turn everyday activities...

Animal Coloring Pages

Get wild with these downloadable and printable animal coloring pages.

A to Z Coloring Pages

Help students learn the alphabet with these printable coloring pages for every letter.

A to Z Coloring Pages (en Español)

Help students learn their letters with these printable coloring pages aligned with Spanish words for...

Preschoolers and Reading in Spanish

This Spanish version of reading tips and strategies help you turn everyday activities into enjoyable...

Sharing Books and Activities During the First Four Years

A Story Sampler makes books come alive for children. It is a book-based thematic approach to reading...

Science Discoveries for Children in Kindergarten through Grade 3

A Story Sampler makes books come alive for a young child. It is a book-based, thematic approach to...

Considering Character for Children in Kindergarten through Grade 3

A Story Sampler makes books come alive for children. It is a book-based, thematic approach to...

Owl Buddy Bookmark

A how-to handout for creating a cute owl bookmark, a goal-settting activity, and additional...

Play Ball! A Poetry Grand Slam featuring Casey at the Bat and Baseball-Themed Activities

Baseball-themed reading activities featuring the poem Casey at the Bat by Ernest Lawrence Thayer.

Activities that Build Writing Skills

Suggestions for play activities to help young children build language, thinking, and physical skills...

Choosing Materials for Retelling Stories

Suggestions for materials to use to help children build comprehension skills, and understand...

Conversation Tips and Activities

Tips for fostering meaningful conversations with children and helping them express their ideas...

Conversations Background Information

Learn more about how oral language experiences contribute to children's language and literacy...

Emergent Writing Background Information

Background information about the stages of learning how to write and spell and ideas for how parents...

Ensuring a Print-Rich Environment

Practical suggestions for setting up the home environment to support children's explorations with...

Equipping a Listening Area

Tips on how to create a listening area where children can enjoy audio books without distubing others...

Equipping a Writing Area

Tips on what to include in a writing area to give young learners the opportunity to write with a...

February Friendship Fun!

Fun activities to foster friendship and reflect on what it means to be a friend.

Fly Into Summer With Reading!

Fun activities and recommended book titles for exploring space and flight.

Growing Up Reading

Tips for sharing books, playing games, singing songs, and having conversations with infants...

Guidelines for Choosing Read-Aloud Books

Guidelines and tips for picking developmentally appropriate books to share with infants, toddlers...

Including Literacy-Related Activities in the Daily Schedule

Tips for integrating reading and literacy-related activities into learning activities throughout the...

Languages of the World

Facts and fun handout for kids related to the incredible variety of lanugages spoken and written...

Reading Aloud: Background Information

Background information on the importance of reading aloud to young children along with tips and...

Beehive Builders

A how-to handout for a beehive building activity to support a reading of "The Honeybee Man" by Lela...

Colorful Creatures

A how-to handout for making a colorful creatures from yarn, craft sticks, and pipe cleaners to...

Create a Classroom Quilt

A how-to handout for making a colorful classroom quilt to support a reading of "The Patchwork Quilt"...

Setting the Stage for Literacy: Background Information

Tips for family child care (FCC) providers for creating literacy-rich environments to support...

Setting Up Your Environment to Support Childrens Literacy Development

A handout with tips for designing a special literacy-rich space in a home or home family child care...

Stages in Learning to Write

Information on the stages through which young children progress in learning to write--from...

Strategies to Help Children Develop Literacy Skills

Tips and strategies to help caregivers incorporate language learning opportunities for children into...

Supporting Children in Conversations in Specific Settings

Suggestions for helping children actively participate in conversations.

Supporting Young Learners: Tips and Activities for Families from Reading Is Fundamental (RIF)

Time-tested tips and easy-to-implement activities to be given to any adult who plays a role-at any...

Techniques to Enhance the Read-Aloud Experience

Techniques for helping caring adults make the most of read-aloud experience with young learners.

Tips to Encourage Children's Writing

Tips for using journals, artwork, and other writing materials to encourage children's writing.

What Do Young Children Know About Conversation? Infants and Young Toddlers

Tips and strategies for helping infants and young toddlers develop language skills and become active...

What Do Young Children Know About Conversation? Older Toddlers and Preschoolers

Tips and strategies for helping older toddlers and preschoolers develop language skills and become...

Building Blocks: Helping Children Learn New Concepts

This handout for parents recommends book titles and activity ideas related to helping kids learn new...

Celebrate Me: Treating Each Child as a Special Person

This handout for parents recommends book titles and activity ideas related to helping your child...

Cooks and Books: Family Learning in the Kitchen

This handout for parents recommends book titles and activity ideas to help families discover...

Family Life: Finding Fun in Everyday Routines

This handout for parents recommends book titles and activity ideas to help families discover...

Family Stories: Sharing Memories and Pride

This handout for parents recommends book titles and activity ideas to encourage families to share...

Fun with Friends: How to Make Friends and Be Friends

This handout for parents recommends book titles and activity ideas related to helping children...

More Books: Where to Find, Keep, and Read Them

This handout for parents recommends book titles and activity ideas related to creating a home...

Sing Aloud: Singing & Rhyming Together

This handout for parents recommends book titles and activity ideas related to engaging young readers...

The Kiss Box

A parent guide to sharing The Kiss Box by Bonnie Verburg with young children.

Guest Reader Tips

Field-tested suggestions from RIF volunteers designed to help guest readers get kids excited about...

Wild About Reading (English)

Extend reading and learning fun after a trip to the zoo with these activity ideas

Spring Ahead with Reading Fun

Spring into reading fun with these spring-themed activity ideas.

Growing Up Reading: Nutrition, Health and Wellness Resource Guide

Reading lists and fun activities that reflect some of the many aspects of health and wellness: Our...

Crack the Code

Explore another way to communicate: using secret code!

Design a Stamp

Suggestions and reproducible handout for kids to design their own stamp.

Our Book by Us

Six bilingual minibooks by Peter H. Reynolds featuring the loveable SugarLoaf as she and her family...

Water Wonders

Read about young sibling scientists Sydney and Symon Starr who “show what they know” as they explore...