In teaching your child to read, you need to encourage him or her to practice this skill very often. Remember, your child's early developing years are indeed the most critical to developing any trait or skill. So it is never too early for him or her to learn the basic skills of reading. Here are some fun methods to help you teach your child to not only become confident and skillful when it comes to reading but to be one happy reader as well.

• Be a good reader yourself and talk about how much you love reading. As a parent, it is often very important if we try to set a good example to our kids. Our children often would look up to their parents as their first heroes or first role models. Kids would be more interested to learn how to read when parents will demonstrate to them how much fun, valuable and useful this skill can be.

• Set a reading time for both of you each day. Whether reading together a bedtime story or any children's book in the day or in the afternoon, it is important that you set a definite reading time for both of you. Also, consider this as bonding time with your kids. You not only teach them how to read, you also get to spend time together.

• Try to be animated when you are reading out loud to your child. Being animated and entertaining is somehow the very basic reason why a child loves to watch cartoons practically the whole day. Apply this trick when teaching him to read. Add a touch of fun and wittiness to your voice. Show some expression and emotion.

• Interaction is essential when reading to your child. Care to ask questions and try to talk about what is happening in the story book you both are reading.

• You must let your child select the books that he or she likes to read. It is also important if you allow your child to select books with topics that he is interested on. Do not limit yourself to what the school requires him to read. That way, your child would understand that reading is not only a skill that he is required to learn but a stepping stone to discovering other new things.

• Love the books your child loves. If she wants you to read Cinderella again for the nth time, go ahead and read it again. Try to maintain the same level of enthusiasm you had when you first read it to her.

• Bring books with you on the beach or in any family outing. Pack a few books along with your picnic basket. Enjoy reading together while on the beach or anywhere you may go. Remember not to read books while on a moving car. Doing so can be harmful to you and your child's vision.

• When outside, point out different written words anywhere when you see it. Ask your child to point onto a new word each time and help him learn not only how to read it but also what it means. It is also important for your child to learn vocabulary too. You may want to talk him into learning how to write as well.