11 ways to get started reading with a twist

• Read with finger puppets and other props. Take turns trying out different character voices such as the big, bad giant or a cute, little lamb.

• Subscribe to a magazine like Highlights, so children look forward to receiving something in the mail addressed to them.

• Start a book club for children in the same age group. Take turns hosting and choosing the next book.

• Offer to read in your child's class on a regular basis.

• If your child likes a particular book, help him find more titles by the same author.

• On road trips, start a story and ask each family member to add a sentence to the plot.

• Hide a favorite toy (or a new one) and leave clues around the house. Kids will inadvertently be reading to get to their treasure.

• Make an alphabet chart on a poster board and write down the name of each book you read under the letter that it begins with. See which letter “wins the race” after a month. Look for books beginning with a different letter on your next visit to the library.

• Encourage kids to make a grocery list and then look for the words at the store. Ask them to find high frequency words like “free” or “whole grain” five times.

• Have older kids match photos and captions that you clip from the newspaper.

• Make a story quilt. Cut out 6-by-6-inch squares of different colored paper. Each time you finish reading a book, have your child draw something about the story and write the name. Tape each square (with painters tape) to the wall or punch a hole, thread a ribbon and hang your quilt.