In Elementary school, many kids get wrapped up in orgainzed activities, such as sports teams and dance classes. Yet free time reading is also important. It buidls reading skills and appreciation for books. To add reading to your child's schoedule, try creative ideas such as:

*Book swaps. These allow kids to exchange and discuss favorite books.

*Book clubs. Some clubs even focus on popular series.

*Mystery book parties. Stage a mystery or play a game like Clue.

*Write a story parties. Let each child write at least one sentence of the story. Then read it aloud!

*Play-reading parties. give a copy of a short, easy to read script toa ll attendees. Encourage kids to be dramatic and ham it up!

--from Mary Leonhardt, "Bringing Books to Life".