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In the twenty-first century, family lives have become so busy that sometimes it's important for parents to stop and ask themselves if they are spending enough time with their children. They grow up so quickly, but the precious years of their infancy can never be brought back. Time spent together with children is of the utmost value, and what better way to spend it than reading a book? Reading aloud doesn't have to be confined to bed-time stories: you can cuddle up on the sofa, sit on the beach or even in a coffee shop and enjoy a book together.

Start as early as possible. Board books for babies and toddlers with sturdy pages and brightly coloured pictures will set your prodigy off on the right foot. They will naturally become used to seeing the pages turned from right to left, and begin to understand the idea of narrative. This will foster a love of books and pictures, as well as giving them the opportunity to absorb the language that you are using. At the same time, you are of course bonding with your child.

When your child reaches the age of three or four, there is a huge variety of picture books to delight and amuse. You can choose from classics such as Maurice Sendak's 'Where the Wild Things are', books of verse to instil a love of rhyming words, or the latest in humor such as 'Dinosaurs Love Underpants' by Claire Freedman and Ben Cort. Young children can learn so much in an enjoyable way through being read to: Eric Carle's 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' teaches the life cycle of the butterfly as well as the days of the week, whilst 'Spookyrumpus' by Tony Mitton and Guy Parker-Rees will help children to learn to count backwards. Repetition in such books allows children to join in too; before you know it, you will probably find your child reading the book to you.

Even as children grow older and begin to read for themselves, so much pleasure can be had by sitting down together to relax and read aloud. I read most of Roald Dahl's novels to my children as they were growing up; I didn't know them from my own childhood, and I had as much fun reading them as my children did listening to them. After a year or so, they read them over again by themselves.

Now that television, computers and games consoles have become such an integral part of our daily lives, let's not forget the delights of story books and the importance of reference books. There is nothing that quite competes with holding a book in your hands and turning the pages. It is so tempting to sit your children in front of the television or let them play video games, but these are unlikely to be the best ways of firing their imaginations. Find a little time, find a picture book, and sit down with them. If you cannot afford to take them out, go and visit the library and let them choose a few books for themselves. It doesn't cost a thing, but reading aloud is such a valuable activity as an investment in your child's future.

Learn more about this author, Liz Allen.
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