(NAPSA)—It’s never too early to start reading to your children— Y to turn the first page on a lifetime of literacy. Even 6-week-old babies like the feeling of closeness when a parent, grandparent or other caretaker reads to them. Here are 10 tips on reading with children from the Partner- ship for Reading (www.nifl.gov/ partnershipforreading/index.html) —a collaboration between the National Institute for Literacy, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the U.S. Department of Education: 1. Make reading a pleasure. Read to children in a comfortable place and show them that reading is fun and rewarding. 2. Show enthusiasm as you read. Read the story with expres- sion and talk as the characters would, making sound effects. Whenchildren enjoy being readto, they will grow to love books and be eager to learn to read them. 3. Read to your children often. Set aside special times for reading each day. Reading times can be brief—five to 10 minutes. 4. Read a lot of different kinds of books. Read poetry and other rhyming books to your children. Read magazines and newspapers together. 5. Talk with your children as you read together. Comment about what’s happening in the story. Help your children make connections between print and pictures. Ask what will happen next in a story. Ask about favorite parts. Help your children relate the story to their own lives. Explain new ideas and words. 6. Encourage children to ex- plore books. Provide sturdy books to look at, touch and hold. As your children grow older, keep books When a caring adult reads to children, it can help build a lifelong love of reading. where they can get them. 7. Read favorite books again and again. Hearing the samesto- ries again helps children learn to read by hearing familiar words and seeing what they look like in print. 8. Build a book collection for your children. Look for books at bookstores, garage sales, used bookstores and library sales. Suggest booksasgifts. 9. As you're reading, point out letters and have your children name them. Ask your children to listen for words that begin with the same sound and say them aloud. Point out words that have similar spellings. 10. Listen to your children read words and books from school. Let them know you are proud of what they are learning. Reading is more than a skill. It helps children explore the world and learn how to make the most of their surroundings.
