Jenifer Reilly of Basalt, Colo., began reading to her daughter Abby shortly after she was born. At first, the infant chewed on the book covers and drooled over the pages. Jenifer didn't mind. She even let Abby sleep with her books. By the time Abby was one, she loved books. She'd nestle on her mother's lap and listen wide-eyed as Jenifer read about snow children and dancing bears. When she started to walk, Abby often sat next to the family's Labrador with an upside-down book in hand, reading to the dog.

Like Abby's mother, I read to all my children - just as my parents read to me, and as I now read to my 12 grandchildren. Reading aloud is one of the best kept secrets of good parenting. It has tremendous impact on a young mind and gives youngsters a head start on their education. Children like Abby, educators say, can be 21/2 years ahead in reading readiness when they enter kindergarten.

Children often gain more than learning skills, however. Reading teaches sharing and involvement. It brings families together and makes children feel loved. When I read to groups of children at schools and libraries across the country, without any prompting one or two will climb up and sit on my lap. The rest, sitting on the floor, will squeeze forward, crowding round my feet.

To help you start a family read-aloud program, here are a few tips from my own experience and some that I've picked up from others involved in literacy programs.

1. Get started now. You can't begin too soon. Carol Brown read to her son, Hanson, shortly after she brought him home from the hospital. Over the next few years, she read him book after book.

By the time Hanson was in kindergarten, he read on his own, even though he was severely learning disabled. Eventually his reading skills leveled off. Today school is hard for him, but he continues to love and enjoy books.

2. Make reading aloud a habit. Years ago, I usually read to my children at bedtime. Most evenings, we'd snuggle together with a few favourite books. The kids came to love this special time. They learned passages from their favourite books by heart, which we'd recite together.

It doesn't matter when you read - but it is helpful to do it at the same time each day, for at least 15 minutes. Many parents have told me they've found the dishes and housework can wait. Reading is more important because it can lead to a better, more productive life.

3. Involve the whole family. Children enjoy being read to by people besides their mothers. Many people read to me when I was little: my father, a brother, a grandmother, even friends barely older than I.

Today, both parents often work and may not be able to read as frequently as they'd like. Baby-sitters, child-care providers and older siblings can sometimes help by reading to their charges.

Children like it when the men in their family read to them. Educators hear this over and over around the country. When a girl in elementary school chose a book on football, her teacher asked why. 'My dad likes football,' the student explained. 'Maybe he'll read it to me.' He did - and he continued to read to her.

4. Keep books handy. Research shows that growing up in a house filled with books often helps a child become an early reader.

5. Choosing the good books. Children need books appropriate for their interests, their ages and their ability, educators say. They also need variety, so experts suggest we read different things to our children - newspapers, magazines, street signs, even the backs of cereal boxes. That way we show the importance of words in every aspect of life.

6. Make the written word come alive. In reading to my children and grandchildren, I always try to involve them. In the middle of a sentence, I'll leave out a word and wait for the child to supply it. I also ask questions. 'Now what do you think will happen?' I might wonder out loud. And I read all words, explaining any that might be unfamiliar.

To make your reading lively, first spark your children's interest. Before you read a new book, let the youngsters study the cover. Ask what they see and what they think the book is about. Next, point out the pictures in the book. Ask, 'What do you think is happening here?' As you read, point out interesting pictures or characters. When you're finished, ask what the youngsters liked best about the story or how they would change the ending.

This kind of 'active' reading stimulates language development and encourages original thinking.

7. Keep reading to them after they can read for themselves. Many experts suggest reading to your children through the eighth grade. Until age 12, most children's listening comprehension is much higher than their reading comprehension - so they get more out of hearing a book. Reading to older children also enables you to introduce books they might not explore on their own.

Get a child hooked on reading, and its joy will last a lifetime. Ray Joseph was only two when his parents started reading to him. By the time he was eight, Ray was reading in bed with a flashlight. 'You'll be too tired in the morning,' his father told him. But Ray persisted, so his parents bought him a night light and allowed him to stay up reading an extra 15 minutes every evening. Today, at age 44, Ray ends each day reading in bed. So do I, and so will count-less others - as long as there are people who want to bring books and children together.