Among those who share the responsibility for developing the reading habit in children are the child's family, schools, libraries, publishers, booksellers, and the mass media. There are many ways to read, just as there are many kinds of reading materials, including poetry and narrative stories. Some children read only to follow the plot, others add meaning to the plot based on their own experiences, and others create stories themselves. Every child should be given the opportunity to create. Some children use reading to acquire facts. Helping build vocabulary and suggesting how information can be located and used may be the most profitable way to help such a child. Parents may be the greatest influence in helping their children become readers. Before children learn to read, their parents should become role models of reading, help the children differentiate and name colors, play word games, and read aloud. After children can read, parents should continue to model reading, discuss what they are reading with their children and invite the children's comments, and set aside time for family reading. Parents should avoid closing doors to books and ideas, making discussions about books into a testing situation, and forcing a child to read a book without previous discussion about it. Schools should promote reading by making sure students know that reading is a tool, encouraging children to take books home, and challenging students to think about, discuss, and argue about what they are reading. (CML)