Appropriate grades or age groups:
Preschool and Younger
Elementary School
Middle School
High School & Beyond

Estimated time to complete activity or implement technique:
varies - ongoing

Materials needed (if applicable):
bookstore, library card, parental enthusiasm, know child's interests (or explore for new ones)

Activity set-up/instructions or description of technique:
Introduce a child to a book series. After reading the first book, they will want to read the other books in the series. The series can be "new" (Bailey City Monsters, American Girls, Animal Ark) or "old" (Little House on the Prairie, Chronicles of Narnia, Amelia Bedelia). It has worked well for me to introduce a series at the child's reading level for independent reading and then use a more advanced reading level series for our family story time.

Other suggestions or comments:
When reading out loud to your child, try not use the same tone of voice during the entire story. Try to use your emotions. You don't have to change your voice for each character, but smiling when the character is happy and putting a lift in your voice helps or frowning and sounding down helps when the character is unhappy, etc. HAVE FUN!