Reading Activities: Ages 8-10

Reading Activities: Ages 8-10

Show your child all the ways books and reading can be enjoyed.

By Zoë Kashner

1.  Shopping Together

Tired of listening to your child’s wish list every time you go shopping? Challenge your child to think before she demands something by reading label and price information. If she wants snack foods, ask her to choose two types, compare their nutrition information, and make her best case. At electronic stores, she can compare features of different items by looking at packaging and even start checking out tech specs. 

2.  Audio Books

 Some 8- to 10-year-olds start to feel too old to be read to at bedtime. That doesn’t mean that you can’t still share a story. Pass the hours you spend in the car with a book on CD. Pick a funny story read by an actor with a talent for voices — The Fantastic Mr. Fox read by author Roald Dahl is one that is sure to please. 

3.  Magazine Subscriptions

Scholastic News, Ranger Rick, National Geographic for Kids, Cricket — these are just a few of the many magazines specifically for children this age. Your child will enjoy getting mail addressed to him. Or, look at magazines online together.

4. Board Games

Board games are a great way to firm up recognition of sight words, as well as spelling and vocabulary skills. Try favorites like Password, Blurt, Boggle Jr., Apples to Apples, and Buzzword Junior.

5. Joke Books

What 9-year-old doesn’t appreciate a good pun? Find a book of jokes at a library or bookstore. Encourage your child to memorize a few of her favorites. She can entertain her friends and family, and improve her memory as well.

*Kashner is a freelance writer. Previously, she was an editor for Scholastic's READ 180 program, the reading intervention program for elementary, middle, and high school students. She was also the editor of The World Almanac for Kids.