http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=6014 will take you to The National Academies Web site.  At the bottom, click on the link to hear an interesting, 9-minute podcast about literacy, skills needed for reading well, the need to start reading to infants, and the significance of adult interaction in building comprehension skills.

Do your kids see you reading and writing?  Are different types of reading materials/texts available in your home? Is literacy a family value?  I hope so!

Thanks to my former professor, Dr. Roberta Herter, for sending the link!