• Encouraging your children to join in while you read. Pause to let them fill in a rhyming word or repeating line.
• Asking open-ended questions, such as "What do you think is going to happen next?" or "Why do you think he did that?"
• Moving your finger under the words as you read aloud. This helps preschoolers connect printed words to spoken words.
• Beginning to teach the letters of the alphabet, starting with those in your child’s name. Make letter-learning fun with markers, magnets, glue, and glitter.
• When you are out and about point to common signs and symbols on billboards and in shop windows and call them out so children can recognise them later, as a game.

If you are a busy working parent who can rarely find time to read to your child, why not try one of the following tips:

• Buy two copies of your child’s favourite book. Leave one at home and take one with you to the office. Schedule 10 minutes every day to call your child and read aloud to them over the phone - it will still be your special time together.
• When you are travelling, pull up a story on your computer and read it aloud over the phone.
• If you are going to be away for a while - record on tape, video, CD or DVD - several of your child’s favourite bedtime stories and leave special messages for them.