Sharon Darling of the National Center for Family Literacy says it only takes a minute to sing short songs like "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." Then leave off the last word each time until there are no words left.

"This activity always produces giggles from children and parents alike," she says in a statement. "Children spent five times as much time outside of the classroom, so learning shouldn't be confined to the classroom."

Darling suggests other ways to build literacy skills by:

-- Choosing a letter of the day and looking for it in any printed materials -- labels at the grocery store, street signs, billboards, or advertisements on TV.

-- Using the letter of the day to begin words that make up silly sentence -- such as cats can cuddle.

-- While waiting for a bagel to toast, have a child look for the letter "b" on any items on the kitchen counter or table. Count as many as possible before the toaster pops.