Since children develop the critical language and early reading skills necessary to enter kindergarten between birth and age five, reading aloud is one of the most influential steps librarians, teachers, parents, and caregivers can take to foster preschoolers' literacy skills. Early exposure to books heavily influences vocabulary knowledge, which…

Selecting books for young children can not only be a fun and rewarding experience but also a little daunting, considering the number of books available. Frequent collaboration between an author and a public librarian has produced valuable insights about how to begin reading with very young children. Suggestions are offered for how parents and…

Considers the need for family literacy programs and library involvement in such programs. National organizations and local library programs devoted to family literacy are described, and the California State Library's Families for Literacy Program, which provides funding for local library family literacy programs, is discussed. (MES)