Tips for Raising a Reader:

• Start early. When you read out loud to young children, they learn the words and sounds they will need to read themselves.
• Set an example. Children copy what they see. Reading a book or newspaper will give them the idea reading is important.
• Always have books. Go to the library or bookstore with your children and help them choose their own books.
• Make a time and a place for reading. Many parents find that bedtime is ideal. Your child calms down and drifts off to sleep more readily, too.
• Read together. This makes kids feel special, and young children can follow the words as you read.
• Make it fun. For instance, ask the kids to create different voices for characters in the stories you read to them.
• Remember how important it is.. Studies show that kids who read just 15 minutes a day see an average of more than a million words a year. Reading with your children every day is the most important thing you can do to help them succeed in school and in life.
• Help your child become an active reader.. As you read together, share ideas and ask questions: What do you think will happen next? Share what you think about the story. Talking with your children will help them build the listening and speaking skills they need to become good readers.
• Most of all, take them to the Library. With the Main Library downtown and 41 branches, there are thousands of programs, millions of books, and staff eager to suggest titles or help you find something you like. Be sure to visit us on the Web too!