Reading aloud to children is an important facet of the literate home environment and the best preparation for the establishment of preschool literacy skills. David was read to at every opportunity, and a diary was kept to observe, record, and study his emergent literacy events in the home. Since David often asked to have the same books read to him, he eventually committed them to memory. While listening, he worked very hard at acquiring literacy skills by questioning, rhyming, punning, and guessing. David's earliest use of literary language included his lifting of formulaic phrases from texts and employing them in his own play and narrative. Literature became an important part of his information background, his language and concept development, and fuel for his imagination. David also learned to match the words that he was saying with the print that he saw in the books and consequently learned to read without formal instruction. He learned comprehension and decoding skills as he needed them and not in a predetermined order. Reading aloud to children is usually considered "enrichment" in the elementary school classroom, but the experience with David shows that it should be made an important element in reading instruction. Appended to this study is a list of the complete titles and authors of the children's books cited and 25 references. (NKA)