Word ladder
Change one letter at a time: CAT → COT → DOT → DOG.
Reading Games
Reading games that feel like play
Zero prep, five minutes, real skills. Perfect for the car, the dinner table or the doctor's waiting room.
I spy with sounds
'I spy with my little eye, something that starts with /b/.'
Rhyme tennis
Volley rhyming words back and forth. Whoever hesitates loses the point.
Sight word slap
Spread word cards; call one; first to slap wins it.
Character charades
Act out a book character; others guess who and from which book.
Silly menu
Read a made-up menu aloud with maximum drama. 'Fried WHAT?!'
Story dice
Roll dice to prompt a made-up story: setting, character, problem.
Word hunt
Pick a target word; who can find it in three books first?
Backwards reading
Read a sentence backwards and see if it still makes sense.