Early Literacy Ideas That Don't Cost a Dime

In fact, these tips won't cost you anything! Using everyday items in your house, and found objects you can easily create some quick and fun activities for your kids.

Here's some tips for fun and learning on a shoestring budget (or for those of us saving for that new pair of shoes we 'soooo' need).

a) Let your child play with letters and pictures cut out from newspapers, magazines, and flyers ... and you're helping the environment by using some of those flyers that would just be landing in the recycle bin anyways.

b) Encourage your children to use real life literacy items in their play. For example, grocery receipts, empty boxes, and coupons for playing store or a small notepad for taking 'orders' at a pretend restaurant or junk mail and old greeting cards as mail for the postman.

c) For a sensory experience, spread glue in the shape of large letters on a page. Sprinkle with sand, shake off excess and let dry. Let your preschooler 'trace' the letters to get a feel for the shapes of the letters. Encourage tracing in the correct formation (left to right, top to bottom).

d) Make your own games such as match up by cutting out squares and writing a letter or word on one card (depending on child's age) with a corresponding picture on the other. Preschoolers can even help draw the pictures.