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

Estimated time to complete activity or implement technique:
Lifetime

Materials needed (if applicable):
Books, computers, videos, flash cards, signs (these are also great for teaching vocabulary in a second language), and everything else you can get your hands on to read and share time with your child.
If your child isn't interested in learning the way you picked out, try another way.

Activity set-up/instructions or description of technique:
I think the most important thing that did was to follow my children's lead. Whatever their interests were, that was what I tried to share with them. I believe this was what kept it interesting and fun and made them want to learn (and read) more.

Other suggestions or comments:
I have a 4 yo and a 2yo. With my 4 yo when he was 2, he became very interested in the alphabet. We sang the alphabet song. We bought several books that were age appropriate that had the alphabet as the theme. I also bought the ABC video by Dr. Seuss and others, which he watched at least a zillion times. He was also very interested in the computer, so we bought the Jump Start Preschool software that we worked on together. At 2 1/2 he knew all of the alphabet, was reading several "sight" signs, and HE wanted to know more. My next step was to go out and purchase "How to Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons". We spent about 15-20 minutes a day each day going through this book. It became our special time. At 3 1/2, he read his first book. (Watching the way his face lit up when he completed it and went yelling down the hall to tell his dad is indescribable.) He just turned 4, he reads short stories to me almost daily. I love watching his face as he conquers a "big" word. I still read to him. Nights are our favorite times, we snuggle and many times will even include his little brother while he and I take turns reading. It has been an incredible experience watching him learn to read.

My 2 yo has entirely different interests than his brother did at the same age. He is more interested in shapes, numbers and emotions, than the alphabet. He hates watching videos and the computer. With his interest in shapes, we look at shapes in books, on signs, etc. We play with number puzzles, and we also read books about numbers. We snuggle and we laugh. He seems to enjoy flash cards, so we look at them, although we are only looking at pictures and not at words. His vocabulary is growing in bounds. He has just started to say three word sentences. Do I think he will enjoy reading? Absolutely, YES! He is going about it a little differently than his brother, but he loves the special quiet times we spend together in his room reading his favorite book (that only he is still interested in). Regardless, we still keep on reading it, until he feels ready to learn about something new.