As a parent- the person who most influences your child- you can nurture your child's love of books and words and help then become better readers in school.
Find a comforatable spot where you will not be interupted by noise and television. This will also encourage good study habits later on.
*Talk about the feelings of the characters. Ask your child: "How do you think the boy/girl felt when he went up to the sky? Have you ever felt that way?"
*Change your voice tone as you read to match those of various characters-a deep, grumpy voice for papa bear, a squeaky voice for baby mouse, and so on. Use sound effects too.
*If there is a repeating phrase in the story, encourage your child to chant it with you.
*Talk about the illustrations. Ask your child what he/she notices. Look for detail. When you are finished, encourage your child to go back to the beginning and retell the story from the pictures.
*As you read, move your finger from left to right across the printed words.
*Display books at home where your child has easy access to them at all times.
*Set a good example- when you sit down and read, offer a child a book or magazine of their own.
* Create homemade books. Fold and staple sheets of drawing paper together. Provide crayons, markers, magazine pictures, photos, glue, and stickers. Encourage your child to create a book that they can "read" to you.