A study examined what parents of preschool children (infancy through age five) do to help their children get ready for a formal reading program, such as how often parents carried out prereading activities and how the activities compared with those generally suggested by early childhood education experts. Surveys completed by 157 parents indicated (1) which of five basic behaviors were a part of the parents' interaction with their preschool child, (2) other reading related activities in which parents participated, (3) the number of minutes per week in which parents were involved in these activities, and (4) the sources of their knowledge about the activities. The results indicated that the majority of respondents read stories on request at bedtime, usually reading the book and looking at the pictures, as well as pausing periodically to ask questions about the story. Most children asked for a specific story, parents' book selection usually reflected their childhood favorites, and mothers responded most often to the child's request for a story. Most parents read to their child daily, and gifts, bookstores, and public libraries were the sources for most children's books. Parents'childhood experiences provided information about reading readiness activities, and pointing to and reading signs was the most frequently mentioned "other" activity. Finally, "Sesame Street" was the favorite television program; most children watched one or more hours of television per day, and most respondents considered themselves good reading role models for their child. (Tables of data constitute the bulk of the report. (HTH)