Hands-On Literacy

Hands-on Literacy activities allow students to fully engage and have fun with what they are learning. Learning in this way encourages problem solving and critical thinking by giving children the opportunity to  experiment with the material. Here is a list of great hands-on literacy activities that you and your children will love! 


Story in a Bag-Put four or five miscellaneous objects from around your house or classroom in a bag. Have the child tell a story using all the objects. This is a great way to encourage creative writing. 

Building letters and words- If your child needs to practice writing their letters or sight words, there is a great opportunity to get creative! Ditch the paper and pencil, and have your child build the letters out of Popsicle sticks or Play-Doh. Another option is to put out shaving cream and have them use their finger to write their sight words (The shaving cream is a win-win, it also works to clean your tables). Whatever you decide to use, have fun with it! 

LEGOS- Who does not love building with LEGOS! Have your child build the setting of their favorite book using LEGOS. They will have a blast while learning about story elements. 

Retell the story- Turn your favorite dolls and toys into the characters of the book you just read. Have your child use the characters to retell the same story or create a new one. 

Go on a Letter Hunt- Have your child go on a letter hunt. How many letters can they find hidden around the classroom, house, grocery store, etc. This works great during road trips as well! 

Adding Art! 

New book cover- Have you child illustrate a new design for the cover of the book they just read. 


Recyclable masterpiece- Make a masterpiece out of recyclable objects, and then write down the directions so he/she can show a friend how to build it later. The possibilities are endless when doing a project like this one. 


Chapter book illustrations- Just because your child has moved on to chapter books does not mean there can't be any more pictures- create your own! 


These are just a few of the endless possibilities for hands-on literacy activities. Search "Hands-on literacy activities" on Pinterest for even more ideas. 


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