Learning and going to school can be fun, despite what you may remember from your time spent in classrooms. This is especially true for younger children who are just beginning to learn about the world around them.

Parents of pre-schoolers, kindergarteners and young grade school students have a great opportunity to lay the foundation for a positive attitude toward academic success, simply by making learning fun.

There are many ways to accomplish this - from reading together to playing educational games to incorporating reading and math skills into everyday routines.

"One major challenge for many parents is keeping students motivated to learn. Parents can address this at home by encouraging, praising, and rewarding students for their academic success," says kindergarten teacher, Kimberly Oliver, and recipient of the "2006 National Teacher of the Year" award.

"Parents can also address this challenge by helping children see the relevance for school learning activities. Connecting learning to everyday life can help motivate students to learn and do well in school," stresses Oliver, who also serves as the leader of the Workbook Advisory Panel for Brain Quest, publishers of educational games and workbooks.

Here are some tips from Oliver and the experts at Brain Quest on making learning fun:

• Make reading and basic math skills part of daily life. Have your kids "help you" read signs on car trips and boxes at the grocery store. Have them participate in counting items in your grocery cart, paying the bill at check-out and counting the change you receive.

• Use fun educational games, books and workbooks to reinforce skills learned in the real world and in the classroom. Make sure workbooks you choose highlight skills you wish to stress - such as phonics, reading comprehension, time and money, or whatever is on your child's agenda. Most importantly, be sure a workbook is curriculum-based, such as the "Brain Quest Workbooks" for Pre-K through Grade 4 (Workman Publishing) and not simply a random "educational" book not attuned to national curricula. The key is to present core subjects in ways that inspire and entertain.

• Make schoolwork fun, not a chore. One of the best ways to help children who are reluctant to complete schoolwork is to make assignments interactive by turning them into games, quizzes, or contests. Parents can reward kids when they complete homework assignments with stickers, certificates of completion, or a poster or small toy tied directly to a subject in their curriculum.

• Ask your child's teacher for suggestions for reinforcing what children are learning in school. Parents can support students by assisting and/or checking homework and school assignments. Extend homework assignments by creating fun hands-on opportunities in which their children can participate at home. The new "Brain Quest Workbooks," for instance, can be a great starting place for parents to create these extensions.

• Turn learning into bonding experiences. Have your child select books or educational games at the library or bookstore and then enjoy them together. Make the trip into a fun outing and then set aside time at home to read your treasures. You can also take books, small educational games and workbooks on family trips.