Opinion: Get the family reading

We're calling on all early years practitioners to help us reinforce the following messages to families during the National Year of Reading:

- Sharing reading is enjoyable and rewarding, and a great way for families to be together.

- Reading is convenient and can be free if families join their local library.

- Reading with your child is like a fun, private education - increasing their vocabulary, encouraging confident speaking, and making it easier for children to learn to read independently.

- Parents and carers don't have to be Stephen Fry to tell stories well - their audience already loves them!

- Parents' interest in all or any form of reading is the best possible tool to support the development of reading in children. Their enthusiasm is vital, so sharing a story that interests them, or reading from a book, newspaper or magazine they love is all good news.

- Absence from home doesn't need to mean the end of storytelling. If a parent cannot be around at bedtime, or whenever they normally share stories, why not record a story for their child to listen to in their absence, or tell a story down the telephone (members of the armed forces do this and it makes a huge difference to their children). While they're at it, why not get their children to do the same for them?

Your support is much appreciated.

For more practical tips on sharing reading and to add information on any great reading projects that you have been involved in (the more we share great ideas, the more impact we can have on reading lives), go to www.yearofreading.org.uk/wikireadia.