LITERACY AND PLAYFUL LEARNING 

The guide is created for anyone to use! Activities are fun and simple and require no- or low-preparation. Most activities are designed for kids of different ages to play together with adults.

Pick the category that suits your group’s energy level, environment, and resources. Choose an activity. Read and prepare, then share!

Once you’ve tried out the first way to do an activity or play a game, try the different variations. Then, think about other ways you can play to make this activity your own!

Check out the “Did You Know?” tips next to that activity’s description in the Reading Champs Guide which outline benefits of doing each activity.

It’s effective! Games and creative activities are a great place to start. When kids enjoy what they’re doing, they’re more motivated to keep doing it and to talk about what they’re learning.

Playful learning encourages kids to explore and direct hands-on projects as active participants. It is an educational approach based on decades of research that shows kids learn best when they engage in activities that are:

-hands-on

-meaningful or valuable to them

-socially interactive

-open to change

-motivating or gratifying

These pieces work together in playful learning. Games and creative activities have meaningful end goals, and how children choose to play or create with them is different each time. Kids find joy and motivation in activities when they have the opportunity to be curious, to explore, and to eventually discover the end goal for themselves.

Playful learning also lets kids practice skills that help them learn how to learn. Sometimes known as the 6 Cs, these skills are:

-collaboration

-communication

-content knowledge

-critical thinking

-creative innovation

-confidence

These skills are important components of learning and working in the 21st century and help people to adapt to diverse environments in a rapidly changing world.

Playful learning prepares young minds and bodies for learning. It allows them to build on their own experiences, helping them make stronger connections with what they learn at school.

In general, the benefits of playful learning include:

-associating learning with fun

-learning to communicate about needs, goals, and interests

-listening to and empathizing with others

-practicing teamwork

-developing problem solving skills

-following instructions and taking turns

-trying new things and exploring different perspectives

-building confidence

More specifically, games are great for helping kids learn to follow instructions and to adapt to new sets of rules. This helps their brains stay flexible as they learn to switch between different tasks. Games help children develop memory and communication skills. They also encourage kids to pay attention and stay focused, even when they aren’t the center of attention. All of these skills are necessary for kids to be successful learners.

Like games, creative projects strengthen kids’ memory and their responsiveness to others. Creative projects help kids connect what they’re doing now to their previous knowledge and experiences. This reinforces learning and also improves mental flexibility, a critical skill for learning how to read.

Research shows that sharing playful literacy activities with kids improves their attitudes towards reading, along with their confidence in their ability to read. Both are key to helping young learners find on-going success in the classroom and beyond.

Literacy activities in the Reading Champs guide are designed for kids of any age and ability to do together. Some activities encourage kids to practice letter and sound recognition, basic skills that early readers need to be able to sound out words. Other games encourage kids to swap letters to make new words. With this critical skill, kids–and adults–can use knowledge of sounds, letters, and other words to help them read the words they don’t yet know.

Creative activities help kids build vocabulary and other language skills for self-expression. Talking and writing about themselves helps kids form connections with what they read, which helps them understand it better. This makes reading more interesting, motivating them to read more!

Even activities that don’t directly include reading, writing, or language skills help kids improve literacy skills. Building vocabulary and expanding background knowledge are essential for improving reading comprehension at all ages. When kids talk about what they’re doing with each other and with adults, they build their knowledge base and their vocabulary. Hearing new words and learning about the world around them in out-of-school environments gives kids a boost when they learn about these concepts in school.

Reading aloud with kids is always a great way to help them out!

How do I start?

-Read anything, anywhere, from books to street signs, poetry to pamphlets.

-React or act it out together! This brings reading to life.

-Talk about what you read, ask questions, and get your listeners involved.

-Read to tweens and teens, too. It helps them just as much!

Check out additional Reading Champs activities that you can try out.