The Comic Strip Challenge

AGES
Beginning readers

THE POINT
To help kids realize that stories -- even short comic strips -- have a beginning, middle, and end, and to improve kids' sequencing skills.

THE ACTIVITY
Get to the comic strips before your child does. Take a few of her favorites, cut them out of the paper, and then cut the frames apart. Put the frames in an envelope, and present it to your child. Challenge her to put this comic-strip puzzle back in the right order. You can do this on a plain tabletop, or your child can place the frames on a piece of white paper and paste or tape them in place. Feel free to help your child work through the activity. Reading each frame together aloud can help.

If your child is just beginning to read, you may want to number the back of each frame according to its place in the sequence. That way, your child can peek if she needs a hint.

Source: The RIF Guide to Encouraging Young Readers

More on: Kids: Reading