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First Grader and Reader & Writer

Early elementary school-aged children benefit from literacy-rich activities that stimulate their imagination and their appreciation of stories. Parents can use "car time" to expose children to new ideas and new words, while challenging them to solve riddles and puzzles. Next time you take a take a car trip, consider these activities that can engage your child, while fostering his language and literacy development.

• Sing Along With Me
  first graders and readers and writers love a sing-a-long, so sing your child's favorite songs together. You can even make up verses to simple tunes. For instance, you can make up a song about where you're going and what real or imaginary adventures await you, using the tune Row, Row, Row Your Boat. Here's how it might go: "Fly, fly, fly away, Into the starry sky, We'll see dragons and knights and a queen and king, And together we shall sing." You can also listen to song tapes and sing along.
• Storytime
  Older children still love to hear stories. Use "car time" to retell your child's favorite stories. Audio books are another way for you and your child to enjoy quality literature together. In addition, you and your child can make up stories together. Parents and children can also take turns making up "Choose Your Own Adventure" stories, where the listener is invited to choose what happens next at different junctures in the story. For example, if you're telling a story about children lost in a castle, you might create the scene, then ask, "What will they do? Will they go into the storeroom or the tower?" Children also delight in hearing stories about what they (and you) were like when they were little.
• Talk Time
  Being in the car can be a special time for parents and their children, offering them opportunities to talk about things that they are thinking and wondering about. Use "car time" to talk to your child about everyday activities and events, whether it's how leaves change color in the fall, what makes a good friend, or who might win the World Series.
• Name That Category
  Take turns playing this game. Name four objects, three of which are in the same category and one object that's different. Then ask your child to name the object that's different from the rest. For example, you might say "Tyrannosaurus Rex, stegosaurus, triceratops, and apatosaurus. What's different?" (Only one of these dinosaurs is a meat-eater.) Or you might name three characters from one book and one character from another. Also invite your child to challenge you in the game of categories. Games such as these can help build your child's thinking and comprehension skills.
• Name That Number
  Make up simple word problems for your child to solve. For example, you might say, "You have 10 pieces of candy and you get 15 more. How many do you have now?" "Now you give four to your grandmother and four to your aunt. How many do you have now?" Make the problem more challenging as your child gets older. Games such as these can help build your child's listening and problem-solving skills.
• Guessing Game
  Take turns with your child guessing what the other is thinking. You might say, "I'm thinking about an animal." Your child can then ask, "Is it a mammal or a reptile?" or "Is it a carnivore or a herbivore?" until she guesses the animal. Children also love to play I Spy. Find something inside or outside the car. Invite your child to guess what you see by giving her hints. For example, if you see a lake, you might say, "I spy with my little eye something that sparkles when the sun shines on it."
• Mad Libs Galore
  Children love Mad Libs, short stories with words left out for others to complete. For example, if the story were The Princess and the Pea, a line might read "The Princess sat on the ____(noun) and discovered a ____(adjective) ____(noun)." If your child is not familiar with nouns and adjectives, you might say "name a thing" or "name a describing word." After all the blanks are filled in, read the story aloud. Children delight in the wacky stories that result. Mad Libs are available at bookstores and on-line; you can also make up some of your own. This is ideal for older children because they can practice reading and writing.
• Pig Latin
  Teach your child a new language—Pig Latin. Here's how it works. If words start with a consonant, move the consonant or consonant groups to the end of the word, and add "ay." If words start with a vowel, add "way" to the end of the word. For example, "boat" in Pig Latin is "oatbay." "Kite" in Pig Latin is "itekay" and "ocean" in Pig Latin is "ocean way." Take turns saying different things to each other in Pig Latin and guessing what the other person is saying. By learning Pig Latin, your child will build an awareness of sounds, an important skill for learning to read.