Helping your child become cognitively ready for reading will also include giving your child diverse experiences in the world and with events and people so they can make connections between the real world and their reading. This does not have to mean extensive travel or expensive outings. Many times simply taking children to various events and places within your community can provide experience with people of different ages and ethnic backgrounds, for example.

Ultimately, children's ability to understand what they are reading is inextricably linked to their background knowledge. Very young children who are provided opportunities to learn, think, and talk about new areas of knowledge will gain much from the reading process. With understanding comes the clear desire to read more and to read frequently, ensuring that reading practice takes place.

Some things you can do to help cognitively prepare your child for reading:

* Read new stories and reread old stories every day.

* Help extend their experience with the words, language, and ideas in books by interactively reading to them every day.

* Relate information in books to other events of interest to children, such as holidays, pets, siblings, and games. Engage children in discussion of the topics.

* In both stories and informational texts, encourage wondering. For example, "What will happen next?" or "Have you ever seen someone do that?"

* Point out how titles and headings as well as text when you are reading.