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It is never too early to start laying the foundation for strong reading skills. Many daily activities, from breakfast, to playtime, to shopping, involve reading and are great opportunities to expose your child to the value of reading.

Exposing your child to written language early and often is a great way to get him off to a good start. This can be accomplished by creating a print-rich environment in your home, including labels on furniture, doors, windows, appliances, mirrors and shelves. Pairing words with picture labels on toy boxes, bins and shelves will help your child associate the word with the object.

Letting your child see you reading will arouse his interest. It also offers a great opportunity to demonstrate one of the many purposes of reading. Whether you are reading the ingredients on a box of food, or the instructions for operating an appliance, reading aloud to your child gets him involved.

When you are writing, whether it is a letter to Grandma or your grocery list, say the words out loud as you write them. Get your child involved. Ask him what he would like you to write to Grandma. Ask him what he thinks you need at the grocery store. Write down his words, and then read them back to him. Give him a piece of paper and a pencil or crayons so he can write too.

Trips in the car or a walk through your neighborhood offer an abundance of reading opportunities. Street signs, signs for stores, even signs with pictures and no words are necessary to get you where you need to go. Talk with your child about the signs and how they are helpful. Point to the signs and talk about their meanings.

Reading to your child is one of the best things you can do to encourage his interest in learning to read. Let your child be actively involved by letting him choose which book to read, hold it and turn the pages.

You can also get more involved by changing your voice for each character or to match the tone of the story. Emphasize some words and point to the words as you say them. This will help your child associate the written word with spoken language. Asking open-ended questions about the story like "What do you think will happen next?" will get your child thinking.

Another way to enjoy books with your child is to ask him to tell you a story from the book. He can recite a familiar story from memory or make up a story about the pictures. Talking about the stories with him is helpful as well.

Keep plenty of reading and writing materials available. Board books with large print and clear pictures should be on a low open shelf so he can take them out and use them independently. Large pencils, crayons and paper, with supervision, should also be offered frequently.

When your child asks you a question to which you don't know the answer, he is providing a wonderful opportunity for both of you to learn together, through reading. Demonstrate to him how you can read books, or websites, to find the answer.

These are just a few examples of how you can introduce your child to the benefits of reading. They will foster a love of reading and a desire to learn more.

Learn more about this author, Marcia J.
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