Reading is one of the most important early learning activities there is. When your child discovers that sharing a book with a loving adult can be a warm, happy experience, they begin to build a lifelong love of reading. Tips for choosing books.

• Physically play with books. Let your little one pick books up, flip them from front to back, and turn the pages.
• Point out pictures and name them out loud. This helps your child make the association between words and their meanings.
• Read in silly voices. It brings stories to life and makes reading all the more fun.
• Talk about letters. Point them out in books and talk to your child about them; “the word ball starts with a ‘b’."
• Read the same book over. Although reading a wide range of books is good, too, kids learn through — and love — repetition.
• Trace words with your fingers as you read. This helps youngsters make the connection between letters and words, what they sound like and mean.
• Keep topics diverse. This will help to prepare your child to live in today’s “global village.”
• Go to storytimes. Seeing other kids enjoying reading is a great way to keep your children motivated.