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7 Tips & (Magic) Tricks for Reading

 

Magic comes in all shapes and sizes, sometimes even in the shape of a book. But sometimes it takes a little while to appreciate the magic that comes with reading. Here are a few tips—and tricks!—to conjure up the book nerd in all of us! And don’t miss THE MAGIC MISFITS, Neil Patrick Harris’s magical first book in a new series with plenty of tricks up its sleeve.

 

Ab-ra-ca-dab-rah

Everyone knows this classic magic word, but all words can bring magic when they’re strung together in the perfect story. One of the best tricks for reading is to sound everything out.

 

Start Small

Beginner magicians don’t immediately try to levitate and beginner readers shouldn’t start with War and Peace. Instead find appropriate reading material for your reader. You don’t always have to worry about getting the most advanced texts possible. Even re-reading easier, older favorite titles increases accuracy and confidence to dive into newer, trickier titles.

 

 

 

Make a Book Appear

Not everyone can pull a bunny—or a book—out of a hat, but it’s a good idea to always be able to pull one out of your bag or off the shelf. Always having a book nearby creates the perfect environment for developing a love of reading both in the classroom and also for fun.

 

 

 

Performance

A good magician knows a thing or two about performance and so does a good reader! While reading out loud add some character voices and a few funny faces, and the story comes to life. Encourage young readers to test out their own acting skills as they improve on their reading. It makes reading out loud a little less scary and a lot more fun.

 

See a Show

Check out local story times and author events. Not only are there usually fun activities and other fans at these events, seeing the person behind your favorite stories is amazing!

 

Practice

Whether sawing an assistant in half, making a coin appear from thin air, or reading—it all takes practice! Whether it’s picture books, comic books, chapter books, or novels, all reading is great. The more you practice reading, the more adventures there are to discover, which creates a lifelong reader.

 

 

 

Set a Goal

Decided on a number of books to read over the course of the year and work towards that number with an exciting prize at the end. Try 52! Just like a lucky deck of cards, there are 52 weeks in the year. Read one book a week and you’ll be the king or queen of reading! Aces!