There is no doubt the ability to read is crucial if our children are to make a success of their lives. There can be few better ways to improve a child's chances at school, and beyond, than to instil in them a love of reading.

So how can we ensure that our little ones will grow up to be readers? It is really quite simple ... we just read to them! As Emilie Buchwald said, 'Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.'

Firstly, reading is fun and a wonderful bonding experience. It stimulates children's language development, enhances their vocabulary, increases their attention span and develops listening skills and imagination. Even at a very young age, they will start to learn that print stands for words and that pages are read from top-to-bottom and left-to-right, all very important pre-reading skills. More than anything else, reading to young children instils in them the desire to read and a genuine love of books.

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