Comment: The specific skills required for reading come from direct experience with written language. At home, as in school, the more reading the better.

Parents can encourage their children's reading in many ways. This can be done by pointing out letters and words on signs, containers, and elsewhere in the child's environment. But reading aloud is probably the single most important activity you can do to encourage your child's success with reading. Kindergarten children who know a lot about written language usually have parents who seize every opportunity to read to their children.
  

Here are some reading activities to use at home during story time.

• Have a regular story time before or after meals or at bedtime. It will help relax and calm your child.

• Look at the book cover together. Use the words "front cover," "back cover," "title," "author," "illustrator," "top," "bottom," etc. You will expose your child to reading vocabulary.

• Look at the pictures or title on the cover. Can your child predict what the story will be about? You will help him use pictures or contextual clues for reading comprehension.

• Read the title page together. You will do it quickly, but reading together will help your child learn the format of a book.

• When reading to your child, follow under the words with your finger. Your child will learn the left to right progression for reading and writing.

• You may wish to look at one page in the book and have your child locate any words or letters he recognizes. You could play a game: "Can you find a letter 'b' on this page?" You will help your child with letter identification.

• After you reach a dramatic point in the plot of the story, you may wish to stop and ask your child to predict what he thinks will happen next, work on a new ending for the story together, or finish reading the story. Again, your child will learn to use contextual clues for reading comprehension.

• Don't forget to read the story purely for enjoyment. Talk about it afterwards and stretch your child's imagination and creativity by asking such questions as "How would you feel if that happened to you?" "Do you wish you could try to do that?"

• Finally, try telling your child a story. He will learn to listen carefully as there will be no pictures to serve as clues. Ask your child to tell you a story and try writing it down and reading it back to him. You could also pretend to play out a favorite story of your child's. You could be Little Red Riding Hood and have your child play the Grandmother.

Reading to your child regularly will have a positive effect on your child's ability to learn to read. Reading together is a family affair! Enjoy it and do it often!