Reading is one of the most fundamental skills a parent can teach their child. Most everyday activities require the ability to read to accomplish the task at hand. From preparing a recipe, to navigating city streets, and ordering from a menu;reading is entrenched in our every day life. From the day your child is born, sharing a together should be a every day activity.

When your child is an infant, story time creates a warm safe environment to encourage the connection between words and meaning. At this stage cloth books with bright pictures will be more of a "teething ring", but your child will love to hold them while listening to your soothing voice.

For a toddler sturdy are designed for not so nimble fingers to turn the pages while you read the words on the brightly colored pages. At this age kids will start to connect pictures with words. ABC's, shapes, and rhyming books are great teaching tools for this age group.

Preschool age children will love to "play" reading and writing games as they near school age. Also books can be more advanced to help "big" kids with things like potty training, starting preschool, and getting along with others.

Reading material with familiar subjects and people are great for teaching your child to read. Books can also boost your child's self-esteem, excite their imagination, as well as stimulate learning. The greatest benefit though is the time spent sharing a wonderful pastime with your child.