As the school year approaches, some families may get caught up in the back-to-school shopping, and parents may not read with their children as much as they would during the mid-summer days.

Because family reading time may get lost in the hectic days at the end of summer, the National Center for Family Literacy is encouraging parents to take the time to sit down with their children and improve their literacy skills.

NCFL president and founder Sharon Darling said just a minute each day will improve their children's reading levels.

"A minute buys enough time to complete a task, take a deep breath or prepare a response to a child’s question that caught you by surprise," Darling said. "But a minute also can be used to increase vocabulary, expand reading skills and add an extra dose of fun to an otherwise routine day."

Darling said parents should use different reading activities to help increase their children's literacy grasp.

The NCFL said the following activities can help families encourage and motivate their children's feelings toward reading:

• Choose a letter of the day.
Look for the chosen letter in any printed materials you see: the newspaper, labels at the grocery store, street signs, billboards or advertisements on TV. Make up a silly sentence using only words beginning with the letter of the day (Cats can cuddle. Dogs don’t drive. Amy always acts awake.)
• Singing songs is certainly a literacy activity.
Try this twist: Sing short songs like Row, Row, Row Your Boat several times, leaving off the last word each time until there are no words left. This activity always produces giggles from children and parents alike.
• While you’re waiting for the bagel to toast, have your child look for the letter B on any items on your kitchen counter or table.
Count as many as possible before the toaster pops.
• Play "Guess Who."
Describe a cartoon character, celebrity or historical figure. Allow a guess after each detail is disclosed. Expand your child’s vocabulary by using unusual words, and then explain their meaning. Take turns. Listen carefully to your child’s descriptions, especially his choice of vocabulary. Encourage him to paint a picture of the character with his words. At the end of the game, compliment him on any unusual or new words used.
• While stuck in traffic, describe the view from the car by taking "word turns."
The activity is as easy as the name suggests. Parent and child each add a word until the scene is described. (A…yellow…convertible…with… a… golden… retriever… in… the… back… seat… is… next… to… our… car.) This activity works well on a walk around the block or while waiting in line at the check-out counter, too.
• Talk to your child about his day. Pretend to be a television reporter.
Try questions like "what was the most surprising (curious, funny, eventful) thing that happened today?" Or gather news for the local paper. "If your day’s activities were an article in the newspaper, what would the headline be?" You are giving your child opportunities to increase vocabulary, recall and reflect, and you are receiving a more detailed version of the time you spent apart. Be prepared to answer the same questions. You and your child will begin looking for events to report to each other.

"Children spent five times as much time outside of the classroom, so learning shouldn’t be confined to the classroom," Darling said.

The NCFL has raised more than $115 million for literacy efforts since its founding in 1989. More than 1 million families have made positive educational and economic gains as a result of NCFL’s work, which includes training more than 150,000 teachers and thousands of volunteers.

For more information, contact 877-FAMLIT-1 or click here.