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

Estimated time to complete activity or implement technique:
30 minutes nightly

Materials needed (if applicable):
Books or stories appropriate for the child's age.

Activity set-up/instructions or description of technique:
I have five children ranging in age from 13 to 30. Four of the five love to read. The one who doesn't particularly like to read, is the one I was unable to read to, when he was very young. His father and I were divorced when he was only 2 months old, and I had to go to work full time, so he spent a lot of time with babysitters, who didn't read. I was fortunate enough to be able to be at home with my other 4 children while they were small and I read to them constantly. My youngest child picked up reading much as a child picks up talking. I was lying in bed with her one evening and reading "Reader's Digest" silently, when she began reading out loud to me. I was amazed and shocked. This was before she started school.

Other suggestions or comments:
When my son, who doesn't care for reading, was in high school, he had to read in order to do a book report. I introduced him to Sidney Sheldon books and they kept his interest level high enough to get him to read most of his books. I talked to his English teacher about that and she was all in favor of anything to get him to read. My other two grown sons remember me reading to them when they were very young. They both have library cards and read many books each year. My two daughters are still in school and both of them read several books at once. And I truly believe this is because of these kids being read to while they were young.