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Kids are sponges for whom everything is new. This means that teaching them to love reading is as easy as showing them that books and magazines are where knowledge lives. Here are some tips for fostering a love of reading in your family.

The first step in this process is reading to them, every day. When they are very small, buy short, simple books with illustrations and reread them often. This will make the characters familiar to your child. They'll definitely develop favorites. You can use reading those books as rewards for other behavior you wish to encourage.

Try a little acting when you read, to engage them in the story. Talk to them about the characters and the plot. Let them make animal and other noises when they are mentioned in the book.

When your children are a little older, get a library card and take your kids often. Just seeing all of those words corralled and waiting is enough to inspire children to explore them. Let them choose their own books. There are also story times and other activities at libraries to encourage your little ones to read.

Start reading chapter books to show them not only that there are more complex stories out there but that reading is something to look forward to. They can also learn that sometimes you can figure out what's going to happen if you stop and think about what's already happened.

Subscribe to kids' magazines and visit the web sites of their favorite authors or illustrators. Show them that reading does not have to involve a long book or made-up stories.

Ask your child to read to you. Try taking turns reading the pages. When it's your son's or daughter's turn, let them puzzle out the words for themselves and only help them when they ask. They will feel more pride in figuring things out for themselves and will develop confidence in their skills.

Buy a good kids' dictionary and look things up with your child. Read books a little ahead of their vocabulary and explore new words with them. Explain compound words and their parts, how they can be made of smaller words. Once they are in school, help them to learn how to research broader topics.

Showing children that the universe can be found in words will give them a tool to learn everything they want to know.

Learn more about this author, Mel Bergen.
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