Read to and with your children for 30 minutes every day. It is very important to read out loud to your children before they start school. Help your children to read with you. Ask them to find letters and words on the page and talk with your children about the story.

Talk with infants and young children before they learn to read. Talk with your children all day long, using short, simple sentences. Talking with them even before they can speak will help them later when they learn to read and write.

Help your children to read on their own. Reading at home helps children do better in school. Have lots of children’s books in your home and visit the library every week.

Help your children get their own library cards and let them pick out their own books.

If your child has a developmental delay, your child may find reading frustrating.

Have books on tape in your home. Borrow or buy a tape player that is easy to work. If you cannot find recordings of your child’s favorite books, you or a family member could make recordings of them for your child to listen to while looking at the books.

Help your child to see that reading is important. Suggest reading as a free-time activity. Make sure your children have time in their day to read. Set a good example for your children by reading newspapers, magazines, and books.

Set up a reading area in your home. Keep books that interest your children in places where they can easily reach them. As your children become better readers, make sure that you add harder books to your collection.

Give your children writing materials. Children want to learn how to write and to practice writing. Help them learn by having paper, pencils, pens, or crayons for them in your home. Help your children write if they ask you. If your child has a special learning or physical need, regular pens and pencils may not be the best choice. Ask your pediatrician or people who work with your child at school or at the child care center to suggest other writing materials your child can use.

Read and write with your children in their native language. Practicing their first language will help your children learn to read and write English.

Why is Reading Aloud to Children Important?

It helps them acquire the information and skills they need in life, such as:

• Knowledge of printed letters and words, and the relationship between sound and print.

• The meaning of many words.

• How books work, and a variety of writing styles.

• The world in which they live.

• The difference between written language and everyday conversation.

• The pleasure of reading.