Tick, Tock… Time’s Up!

Time’s Up!

As parents and educators, we constantly find ourselves running out of time to do the things we want. Or so we believe… Do we really run out of time, or do we choose how to use our time?

I purport there is always some kind of time for literacy – if we make it a priority. There might not be enough time in the world to do all the things we WISH. Yet, we have the power to make time for what we truly, wholeheartedly want to do. We have the authority to make those choices, and we can make literacy a precedence by immense means and infinitesimal measures.

This article will focus on some of those minuscule routines that can result in good lifelong habits and afford high quality use of every moment, without them feeling like a chore.

I must first acknowledge there is a place for “drill and practice” of sounds, letters, vocabulary words, and even ‘times tables’. As educators we relish true learning that does not feel like a tedious assignment. The following suggestions are meant to be utilized in ‘bite size’ portions that are fun, quick, and habit-forming.

Picture Perfect – Always carry your camera because you never know where fun words will show up.  Match the photo shoot expression to the words you find. Educators like to call these words out in society ‘environmental print’.

Doggie (or kitty) Express – Dogs usually work better for this activity because they are more “direct able”. Write notes and send them to the recipient in the next room of the house by means of the dog’s collar. “Here, Spot, take this note to Sammy.” This activity employs creativity and writing.

Supersize Sticky Note Sorting – Write spelling words, fun words, family names, or nearly any words that have some sort of association or grouping. Use the whole sliding glass door as the workspace and sort into different categories. This activity employs decoding, reading fluency, comprehension, and categorization.

Label the Room Game – You write or have your child attempt to write the names of items that you see in a given room on sticky notes.  Grab a timer from a board game. On your mark, get set, go!  Label the room in game-like fashion. This activity employs writing and reading fluency.

Coupon Sorter Job – When the Sunday newspaper arrives pull out the comics for some silliness. Then find a scissors and the coupon section.  Why must this be the adults’ job? Many children are capable of cutting coupons and sorting them into the coupon caddy. This activity employs fine motor skills, reading, and categorization.

Alphabetize Everything! – We may not have the desire to alphabetize the spices, movies, and books. But, some children are challenged by the game of it. This activity employs alphabetic knowledge.

Binder Ringo – Any word can be written, hole-punched, and strung on a binder ring. Inexpensive binder rings are sold in most office supply stores. The single rings are great for holding a few or many word cards. A set could hang somewhere near your child’s car/booster seat for a quick review. This activity employs decoding.

Label Maker Pix – Remember how the ‘old time’ pictures all seemed to be labeled with beautiful handwriting on the back? Remember how grateful you were that someone took the time to do that so you would know who was who? Remember all those pictures you recently printed but aren’t labeled, and probably won’t be labeled in the near future?  Why can’t your child do that for you?  It would probably be fun to use the label maker to attach names and titles on the loose pictures. It would be a trip down memory lane, for both of you, and it would get the job done. This activity employs spelling and family knowledge.

Guessing Game: This game is perfect for travel. Each participant takes a turn providing clues to a book, movie, or person. The opening lines are “I am thinking of …” then the rest of the sentence is completed by some tricky and interesting clues. Everyone gets a guess. If the correct answer is not given, more clues are provided. Here is an example: “I am thinking of a book that is written in journal format, is a series, and makes Daddy laugh out loud every time we read it.”  Not sure yet? Here are some more clues: “I am thinking of a book that is all about Greg Heffley’s middle school experience. His brother’s band’s name is ‘The Loaded Diaper’.” Yes! It’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid, by Jeff Kinney. This activity employs knowledge of the topic, formulation of quality clues, and good communication skills.

Related: Guess the Winning Number

Making time for literacy should certainly include the reading of the “bedtime story”. But it can also be comprised of quick word games, communication activities, educational mind puzzles, and writing endeavors. If parents make literacy a main concern in small and large ways, children will always reap the benefits.

Tick, tock, time to send a note to Sophy on Fido’s collar!

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This post originally appeared on our September/October 2010 Magazine