# Reading Box
> Cover a cereal box with colored paper, cut a slot in the top and fill it with simple CVC word cards. Kids pull out words and read them aloud whenever they like, and the words change every few days.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/reading-box/
- Ages: 3–6 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: low
- Time: prep 17 min, activity 10 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group · one batch serves about 1 kids
- Skills: early-reading, cvc-words, phonics, independent-learning

## Materials (one batch)
- 1 piece Empty cereal box (household)
- Colored paper
- Glue or tape (household)
- 1 piece Scissors or craft knife (household)
- 1 piece Marker (household)
- Word cards (simple c-v-c words)
- Favorite stickers (optional)

## Substitutions
- Instead of word cards: Store-bought CVC word cards (Not mentioned in the post. Handwritten cards on colored paper are what the author used.)

## Safety
- Adult cuts the hole in the cereal box.
- Stickers are small and can be a choking hazard for kids who still mouth things, so supervise sticker decorating with younger children.

## Before you start
- Cover a cereal box with colored paper and label it 'READING BOX'.
- Cut a hole in the top of the box.
- Write short c-v-c words on paper cards and put them in the box.

## Steps
1. Cover an empty cereal box with colored paper.
2. Adult: cut a hole in the top of the box big enough for little hands.
3. Write short c-v-c words on paper cards and drop them into the box.
4. Let your child decorate the box with favorite stickers.
5. Set the Reading Box on the kids' table where it's always in sight.
6. Whenever they feel like it, kids pull out a word and read it aloud.
7. Cheer the right answers, and remind them it's OK to make mistakes.
8. Change the words in the box every few days.

## Tips
- It has worked pretty well for us because she barely needs any prompts or reminders to go to the box, because IT IS RIGHT THERE.
- Our Reading Box sits on the multipurpose kids' table (the art, writing, creating, Lego and play dough table) so it's part of everyday play.
- My older one squeals with joy when she gets a word right. We are working on 'it is OK to make mistakes.'
- Once every few days I change the words to keep it fresh.
- This grew out of bedtime stories, when she started holding me off on short words so she could read them herself.

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2012)

How we encourage reading without any prompting Older one has been reading c-v-c words with ease now and during our bed time story book routine, she has been holding me off on a few short words so that she can read them. I love it!To encourage the curiosity and willingness to read we created the “READING BOX” Big A squeals with joy when she gets a word right – we are working on “ it is ok to make mistakes” Reading Box is simply a cereal box prettied with colored paper. I cut a hole on the top to insert some word cards in it. Once every few days I change the words Reading Box sits on the multipurpose kids table ( art/writing/creating/Lego/play dough table) Big A knows that whenever she feels like it she can pick out words from the box and start reading them aloud. She gets to decorate the box with her favorite stickers. It has worked pretty well for us because she barely needs any prompts or reminders to go to the box because IT IS RIGHT THERE.

Thanks for reading

Happy Sharing

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