Action Steps for Families There are a number of steps that you
and other family members can take to help prepare your young
children to become readers and to support the reading habit once
they are in school. These include: Feed your child a diet of
rich language experiences throughout the day. Talk with your
infants and young children frequently in short, simple
sentences. Tell stories, sing songs, recite nursery rhymes or
poems, and describe the world around them to expose them to
words. Name things. Make connections. Encourage your child's
efforts to talk with you. Try to read aloud to your children for
30 minutes daily beginning when they're infants. Ask caring
adults to be your children's daily reader when you are
unavailable. Have your child's eyesight and hearing tested early
and annually. If you suspect your child may have a disability,
seek help. Evaluations and assessments are available at no cost
to you. Call the early childhood specialist in your school
system or call the National Information Cent