[header] How to encourage kids to read [title] Read to your child starting at an early age. [step] Many people have fond memories of their parents reading them bedtime stories, and reading to your child will help foster a love of words and reading. [substeps] Reading to a child also models a lot of important things about reading: which way to hold a book, how to turn the pages, and the idea that printed words represent sounds and meanings. 
Don't be afraid to ham it up when reading to a child. An extra dose of drama adds interest-and reinforces how words and sentences sound.