1. Read to your child
Start at an early age with bedtime stories and don’t be afraid to ham it up with an extra dose of drama.

2. Fill your child’s room with books
Children who grow up with books all around them learn to think of books as friends and allies in their pursuit of excitement, adventure and knowledge.

3. And not only books
Video games, magazines, comic books, board games, iPads and Kindles all provide opportunities for reading practice.

4. Be a good reading role model
Have your own books and magazines on display. Let them see you reading and how much you enjoy it. Tell them what you are reading and share it with them.

5. Encourage your child to find their own books
Reading should be fun. Don’t thrust ‘worthy’ tomes upon them just because you think they should read them. Let them choose material that they will really enjoy.

6. Give them a sense of achievement
Respond with wild enthusiasm to anything they read to you and lay on praise with a trowel.

7. Take them to your local library
Get them their ‘very own’ library card, show them how a library works and encourage them to choose their own books. Visit the library on a regular basis.

8. Talk about it
When your child is reading or has read a book talk to them about it. Discuss the characters and the story.

9. Make time for reading
Our children seem to have equally busy schedules as we do and no matter how much they enjoy reading, your child can only read if you organize set times to do so.

10. Lucky, lucky, lucky
Try to make them understand how special and lucky they are to be able to learn to read when millions of children around the world want to learn but don’t have anyone to teach them and no books of any kind in their homes.

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