There is no substitute for a child's first experiences with that concrete object called a book - smelling the aroma of the pages, rubbing fingers along the binding, feeling the smoothness of glossy paper. Nor is there a substitute for the positive feelings transmitted to a child by a reader who cares and who invests books with personal value.

When you read to your child, you give these very real and concrete gifts that encourage reading:

* Warm feelings aroused by the closeness between you, the reader, and your child, the listener.

* The chance to explore connections between your child's interpretation of the story and the actual story in the book.

* The desire to find out "what happens next" in the pages of a book.

* The realization that the black marks on each page carry meaning, allowing the story to progress and the child to revisit certain words, pages and story events.

- From "What You Need to Know When Your Child Is Learning to Read" by Sara Wilford

Pub Date: 12/27/98