The most important thing that parents can do to help their children become ready to read and to learn is to read aloud to them. This brief provides guidance for parents in facilitating their child's emerging abilities. Suggestions for parents include talking with infants and young children before they learn to read, setting aside a reading time every day regardless of their child's age, taking their child to the library, and pointing out printed words to the child in the home and in the community. The brief also lists strategies for creating strong readers, including specific strategies used during reading sessions with children, such as discussing new words and asking questions. (KB)