In today's Home & Family section, the hometown of new Parent's Corner columnist and children's author Jerdine Nolen is misidentified. She is a resident of Ellicott City.

The Sun regrets the error.

Beginning today, The Sun will feature a biweekly column by Jerdine Nolen for parents showing how they can improve their children's reading ability. A resident of Columbia, Nolen is an award-winning children's author with a background as a teacher and administrator in elementary education. She has field-tested her suggestions on her son and daughter.

In today's column, she provides some recommendations on the right atmosphere for encouraging children to read and write.

* Show your children you value the written and spoken word. Read books, magazine and newspapers. Buy books and other reading materials; give them as gifts.

* Make regular visits to the library. Sign your children up for a library card and for library reading programs.

* Talk to your child about your favorite book and current reading materials.

* Read to your children daily. Even a routine of 15 minutes a day works miracles.

* Keep an easily accessible supply of pencils, paper and colored markers around.

* Write notes to your children.

* Good listening habits are acquired. Model good listening examples for your children. Let them develop into better listeners at their own pace.

* Begin reading to your child as soon as possible - the younger, the better. Start with picture books, or almost anything - you could even start by reading the information on their breakfast cereal boxes. Make sure your children can see the pictures easily.

* Occasionally read above your child's intellectual level to challenge his mind.

* Establish book relationships with authors and illustrators. Find out about the people behind the story.

* Have your child read to you. Start by rereading the story several times and encourage her to read along with you and to you.

Pub Date: 10/04/98