The following is intended to help you become a parent who is great at
reading with your child. You'll find ideas and activities to enrich this
precious time together, whether your child is a baby or much older.
Budding readers
Children become readers when their parents read to them. It really is as
simple as that. And here's the good news: It's easy to do and it's great
fun. With a little practice, you will be making the memories of a
lifetime, memories both you and your child will cherish.
It is best to read to your child early and often. But it's never too
late to begin. Start today. Although the activities in this section are
designed to enhance reading aloud with preschoolers and beginning
readers, a child is never too old to be read to.
Interaction
With youngsters, remember that reading is a physical act, as well as a
mental one. It involves hand-eye coordination. So, when you read,
involve your child by
- pointing out objects in the pictures;
- following the words with your finger (so your child develops a sense
that the words go from left to fight on the page); and
- having your child help turn the pages (to lean that the pages turn
from fight to left).
Look for Books
The main thing is to find books you both love. They will shape your
child's first impression of the world of reading.
What to do
1. Ask friends, neighbors, and teachers to share the names of their
favorite books.
2. Visit your local public library, and as early as possible, get your
child a library card. Ask the librarian for help in selecting books.
(Also see the resources section at the end of this book.)
3. Look for award-winning books. Each year the American Library
Association selects children's books for the Caldecott Medal for
illustration and the Newbery Medal for writing.
4. Check the book review sections of newspapers and magazines for
recommended new children's books.
5. As soon as they're old enough, have your children join you in
browsing for books and making selections.
6. If you and your child don't enjoy reading a particular book, put it
aside and pick up another one.
Keep in mind your child's reading level and listening level are
different. When you read easy books, beginning readers will soon be
reading along with you. When you read more advanced books, you instill a
love of stories, and you build motivation that transforms children into
lifelong readers.
Books and Babies
Babies love to listen to the human voice. What better way than through
reading!
What you'll need
Some baby books (books made of cardboard or cloth with flaps to lift and
holes to peek through)
What to do
1. Start out by singing lullabies and folk songs to your baby. At around
6 months, look for books with brightly colored, simple pictures and lots
of rhythm. (Mother Goose is perfect.) At around 9 months, include books
that feature pictures and names of familiar objects.
2. As you read, point out objects in the pictures and make sure your
baby sees all the things that are fun to do with books. (Pat the Bunny
by Dorothy Kunhardt is a classic touch-and-feel book for babies.)
3. Vary the tone of your voice, sing nursery rhymes, bounce your knee,
make funny faces, do whatever special effects you can to stimulate your
baby's interest.
4. Allow your child to touch and hold cloth and sturdy cardboard books.
5. When reading to a baby, be brief but read often.
As you read to your baby, your child is forming an association between
books and what is most loved -- your voice and closeness. Allowing
babies to handle books deepens their attachment even more. 
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