10 Family Reading Tips

1. Take Ten Minutes of Your Time.
Read to your child every day for at least ten minutes. Everyone can find ten minutes. Of course, you and your child will enjoy yourselves so much that you may find yourself taking more time out to read aloud to your child!

2.  Plan a Reading Date.
Establish a regular reading schedule with your child and make it a routine. When reading is made a routine part of your child's life, it becomes a habit. How about a bed-time reading date? A quiet bed-time story will surely settle your child down for the night.

3. Make Reading Time Special.
Pick a cozy spot where you can hold your child in your arms or on your lap. Let your child choose the books to be read. You and your child will enjoy the warmth and fun of reading books together.

4. Try These Simple Techniques.

• Move your finger under the words as you read.
• Let your child turn the pages.
• Act out the characters with your voice as you read.
• Take turns reading words, sentences, or whole pages.
• Pause and ask open-ended questions like: "How would you feel if you were that person?" "What do you think will happen next?"
• Discuss what is happening in the pictures.

5. Make Your Home a Reading Friendly Environment.
Keep books, magazines, and newspapers all around the house - on the kitchen table, in the bathroom, by the bed, in the toy box...everywhere.

6. Visit the Library.
A trip to the library is something your family can plan, look forward to and enjoy together. Encourage your child to get to know the librarian. Learn to use the library, and check out books.

7. Read All Kinds of Things Together.
Read whatever is available - recipes, instructions, sports stories from the newspaper, even the TV schedule.

8. Let Your Child See You Read.
When your child sees you enjoying reading, he/she is likely to follow your example. Turn off the TV, pick up a book, and talk to your child about the things you are reading.

9. It's Never Too Early to Learn ...
Research shows that one of the most important activities to stimulate early brain development in the first few years of life is reading to your baby. Other important activities include: talking, singing, cuddling, holding and interacting with your baby.

10. Or Too Late.
Just because your child can read on his own, does not mean that he will not enjoy being read to. As your child gets older and begins reading chapter books, why not join in, taking turns reading alternate chapters. You might also be surprised at what a good picture book can do to entertain family members of all ages.