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One of the biggest surprises of my teaching career came in the middle of a seventh grade art lesson. The topic was the art of Theorore Geisel-better known of course, as Dr. Seuss. The lesson was to create a work of art that was reminiscent of the good doctor's stories, with his crazy magical style. As I started listing the books, I realized that there were blank looks all around most of the room."What's wrong?" I asked. "We don't know these stories," one student admitted. I was blown away. Thirteen year olds who couldn't recite Seuss from memory? Only three in the class of thirty six could tell me who Yertle the Turtle was and how Horton hatched the egg. Three out of thirty six were all that had ever visited Mulberry Street or tried to run the Circus or played with the Cat in The Hat on a rainy day. Why? No one ever read to them.

Is it any wonder then, that middle school kids claim that they "hate" to read and that reading comprehension skills are getting lower every year, despite the efforts we as teachers are supposed to make for No Child Left Behind? How can parents, then, avoid raising literary deprived kids?

The obvious answer is to make reading an important part of the family dynamics. For busy parents it may not be easy to squeeze in reading activities. I would encourage them to start making reading a priority, from an early age. Here are some ways to make it interesting and fun.

1. Read somewhere besides the obvious. Most young children are read to before going to bed. That's a great tradition that should never go by the wayside, but at other times, make it an adventure. Read outside, following a picnic lunch. Read in the tree house or set up a tent. Take turns reading out loud while driving in the car on family vacations, or while waiting for your food in a restaurant.

2. Don't see the movie first. If your family is planning to see the latest installment of Harry Potter, take the time to read the book first. Then compare and contrast the book and the film for lively family discussion.

3.Go to the library every week and let your child select books he or she wants to read. Encourage non-fiction reading as well as fiction. Take part in summer reading incentive programs where the children earn prizes for taking time to read.

4. Create artwork about your favorite books and characters.One of my best classroom activities was to have my students illustrate classic children's literature. They had to read those stories they didn't know in order to meet the guidelines

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