Almost half of the young children in the United States will spend some time in day care and some of that time should be spent reading.

Here's what to expect in a good reading program.

* A book area for children in every room.

* Daily reading and storytelling time in small groups or "circles."

* Trips to the library for books, films, puppet shows.

* Sing-along time with song sheets; read-along time with audio tapes.

* Quiet time with a book and a volunteer to help read it.

* Exploration through books of theme units, from dinosaurs to clowns to family problems.

-- From "Raising a Reader"

by Paul Kropp

Pub Date: 7/15/98