Start reading to your kids before they can walk or even talk, because a child’s reading habits start earlier than you might think. Families influence a child’s reading habits by nurturing them through reading with the child and modeling the importance of making time for reading daily from a very young age. Not only do children need to read with you daily, but they also need to see the adults in their lives reading. (This not only includes parents, but older siblings, grandparents, and other relatives or close friends of the family.) Children need to see you not only model the joy of reading, but also hear you use tone, inflection, and even struggle to pronounce new and complex words, to know it's okay to stumble and figure out words or context. 

Colleges have learned that inquiring about reading habits during the interview process is an effective way to get to know potential students. They are impressed when an applicant reads for fun because so few applicants have this habit. By the time a child enters the Upper Elementary classroom, those with a reading habit stand out. I can tell you with certainty that the children in the Upper Elementary classroom who are book-bosomed and freely pursue text have a richer vocabulary, write more prolifically, and achieve higher test scores than their peers. They are more likely to think deeply and process information quickly. Even if your child has reading challenges, you can raise a bookish child. Start reading to them and show them how to make time for reading. Help your child learn who they are as a reader by sharing a variety of reading material. Show them that you value reading.