Encourage your child to draw a picture about a recent family event or something that happened in your neighborhood. When he’s finished, ask him to tell you about the picture. Ask him if he’d like to write a description of the picture on his art, and help him do so.

Drawing, scribbling and invented spelling are all important steps to learning to write, which also helps your child learn to read. Whenever your child draws a picture, ask him to describe it to you, and ask specific questions about the artwork: “I see you drew a big sun. What kind of day was it when this picture took place?”