Although the life of a parent is often hectic, you should try to read with your child as often as you possibly can. Taking the time to read with your children on a regular basis sends an important message: Reading is worthwhile. Reading aloud to your child requires only a book - free, with a library card - and your willingness to spend a little quality time with your child. And while the sacrifices to read aloud are few, the benefits are many: Your child may learn to read better, think better, imagine more richly, and become a passionate and lifelong reader. More than these long-term benefits, however, are some more immediate: The pleasures of spending time with your child and sharing the enjoyment of a good book.(http://www.readaloud.org/why.html)

Read Aloud Tips 
  • Find a time to read when you can both relax and enjoy it - try bedtime, nap time, snack time, after dinner.
  •  Get comfortable. Find a cozy spot to read and make sure the TV and other distractions are off.
  •  Read the book or story yourself before you read it to your child.
  •  If your child doesn't like a book, switch to another. If he or she isn't in the mood, stop reading and try again later.
  •  Go to the library with your children regularly. Ask the librarian to recommend books and book lists. Get your children their own library cards.
  •  Build a home collection of books. Shop at garage and book sales. Trade books with friends
  •  Encourage your children to look at books on their own. Let them take books to bed and read themselves to sleep, 
  •  You don't have to be a great reader, just read from the heart.
  •  Make it fun. It's not a lesson.
  •  Talk about the stories with your child,

Fifteen Minute Reading Activities 

1. License to read. On car trips, make it a game to point out and read license plates, billboards, and interesting road signs.

2. Better than TV. Swap evening TV for a good action story or tale of adventure.

3. Look and listen. Too tired to read aloud? Listen to a book on tape and turn the book's pages with your children. You'll still be reading with them!

4. Labels, labels, labels. Label things in your children's room as they learn to name them. Have fun while they learn that written words are connected to everyday things.

5. Pack a snack, pack a book. Going someplace where there might be a long wait? Bring along a snack and a bag of favorite books
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6. Recipe for reading. The next time you cook with your children, read the recipe with them. Step-by-step instructions, ingredients, and measurements are all part of words in print!

7. Shop and read. Notice and read signs and labels in the supermarket. Back home, putting away groceries is another great time for reading labels.

8. Your long-distance lap. Away on a business trip? Take a few books with you, call home, and have your child curl up by the phone for a good night story.

9. A reading pocket. Slip fun things to read into your pocket to bring home: a comic strip from the paper, a greeting card, or even a fortune cookie from lunch. Create a special, shared moment your child can look forward to every day.
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10. A little longer? When your child asks to stay up a little longer, say yes and make it a 15-minute family reading opportunity.
~PTA and FamilyEducation's PTA® Connection

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 Supporting Your Child's Literacy Learning