How We Get Children Excited About Reading and Writing

How do you get a five-year-old who just wants to run, climb, and explore to engage with reading and writing? For many young children, sitting still with a book or pencil can feel like an impossible task. But what if literacy didn’t mean sitting still? What if reading and writing were just as dynamic, playful, and exciting as their favorite games? In our school, we don’t force children into literacy—we invite them into it through exploration, creativity, and hands-on experiences. When learning is meaningful and engaging, even the most reluctant reader can become a passionate storyteller.

Reading and writing are more than just academic skills; they are essential tools for communication, creativity, and self-expression. A strong foundation in literacy prepares children for a lifetime of learning and discovery. Research shows that children who engage with reading and writing in a positive, playful way develop a deeper love for learning and are more likely to become independent thinkers. That’s why we focus on creating an environment where literacy feels exciting, natural, and deeply rewarding.

The Importance of a Play-Based Approach

Experts in early childhood education, including Maria Montessori, emphasize that children learn best through play and hands-on experiences. Dr. Stephen Krashen, a leading researcher in language acquisition, supports the idea that children develop literacy skills more effectively when exposed to engaging, meaningful content rather than rote memorization. This aligns with the approach we take in our school: making literacy fun, interactive, and deeply connected to the children's natural curiosity.

Traditional Learning vs. Engaging Learning

In traditional education, reading and writing are often taught in isolation—children are expected to memorize letters, sound them out, and practice writing in repetitive worksheets. While this method can produce results, it often lacks excitement and real-world application, leading many children to resist literacy learning.

At our school, we take a different approach. Instead of treating literacy as a chore, we embed it into everyday activities that children already love. We provide experiences where reading and writing are tools for play, storytelling, and discovery rather than standalone subjects. This way, children become naturally motivated to engage with literacy, not because they have to, but because they want to.

Making Literacy Playful

Instead of presenting reading and writing as tedious tasks, we incorporate them into playful, hands-on activities that spark curiosity and enthusiasm. A simple word search puzzle, for example, teaches children to recognize letters and words while making the process feel like a fun challenge. Another engaging activity is cracking a secret code, where kids decode a hidden message by reading letters and words—a thrilling way to develop literacy skills without even realizing it!

We also encourage storytelling by having children invent their own stories. During book week, the kids work together to create a collective story, each contributing a page with their own writing and illustrations. They then edit their work, and at the end of the week, they proudly read their finished book aloud to parents, celebrating their achievement.

Other activities include:

• Writing scripts for plays – Kids write their own dialogues and perform their stories, making literacy an interactive and theatrical experience.

• Cooking and recipe writing – Before making a meal together, children write down the ingredient list and cooking process, integrating reading and writing into daily life.

• Nature journaling – During our outdoor explorations, kids record their observations in journals, drawing and writing about the plants, animals, and landscapes they encounter.

• Letter scavenger hunts – We turn reading into an adventure by hiding letters or words around our school grounds for kids to find and decode.

• Personalized bookmaking – Each child creates their own book over time, filling it with drawings, short stories, or letters to friends, fostering a sense of ownership and pride in their writing skills.

The Emotional Connection to Literacy

Children are more motivated to learn when they feel emotionally connected to what they are reading and writing. children thrive when they engage with texts that are personally meaningful to them. That’s why we encourage our students to write about their own experiences, interests, and emotions. Whether they are writing letters to friends, making gratitude journals, or storytelling through art, they are developing literacy in a way that feels relevant and exciting to them.

A Lifelong Love for Reading and Writing

By incorporating literacy into play, creativity, and real-world applications, we have seen even the most reluctant learners become eager to engage with reading and writing. The key is to make learning feel like an adventure—one that every child is excited to embark on. By weaving literacy into hands-on, meaningful experiences, we help children develop not only their reading and writing skills but also their love for learning.