Just as all people must learn to crawl before they can walk,
children must attain certain milestones before they can become
part of the world of words. Parents can do much to help unlock
the magical realm of reading. When your baby is even just days
old, there are steps you an take to foster your little one's
love for books. Here are some tips to help you introduce even
the youngest child to words and help her develop important pre-
reading skills. "Reading is the most complex psychological
process we deal with in our whole lives," says Donna Sullivan,
director of Commonwealth Learning Center in Needham,
Massachusetts. "It involves the auditory system—how we hear and
understand; and the visual system—how we interpret letters. When
these psychological processes are in place, a child is ready to
read." Not every child will learn to read at the same age. While
some youngsters may start as young as four years old, most
children become readers during first grade. But it is important
to note that the process towards