We started reading to our daughter as soon as she leaped out of the womb! Well almost. The first book that we read to her, believe it or not, was Dr. Suess's, "Oh, the Places You Will Go!" She absolutely loved the pace, rhythm and bright colors of the book and would fall asleep to it at any time of the day. That alone might be worth getting a copy and reading it to a very young child!
Teach your child the alphabet. Read EVERYDAY! Children love books. Be sure to read some age appropriate board books but then also venture out into the somewhat advanced picture books. Board books are great for durability and visual stimulation but picture books offer a more detailed story and even more visual stimulation.
As you are reading, point out objects that are being referred to in the text. Point to the words as you read them. Also guide you child's finger across the pages of the book as you read (as much as they will allow you to do so). This will get them in the habit of reading from left to right.
Your child should begin to have a favorite book by now and may ask you to read it several times back to back. Don't hesitate to indulge them. You are developing that young mind by leaps and bounds when you do.
As your child begins to develop his/her speech, leave out words in the text and let him/her fill it in. You will be surprised at the age that he/she begins to do this.
Allow your child to say the letters that he/she recognizes in the books. I think our daughter thought she was actually reading the book when we would let her do this.
Now begin to take individual words from your child's favorite book, write them down on a sheet of paper and ask your child what word it is. He/She may get it the first time, if not, just simply pull the book out and show them the word. They will instantly make the connection. Do this over and over again. The key is to get your child to recognize familiar words in unfamiliar settings.
After your child recognizes the letters of the alphabet, begin to teach him/her the letter sounds. Once he/she is comfortable with this, begin to say certain words out loud and ask your child what letter it begins with. This should be done orally if your child can already recognize letters in print. You're trying to practice his/her ability to recall the letter sounds without seeing it. This is an important step in learning to read because your child will see different words in different settings so it is good to exercise the brain to recall different letter sounds of different words without seeing it. It will help to keep the brain open to "word" possiblities.
Believe it or not, T.V.! Incorporate some good t.v. shows that will help to fortify what you're teaching. Some shows that I've had success with and that my child understood well were Word World, Between The Lions and Super Why.These were very good shows that teach the purpose of vowels, word structure and how letters sound when they come together to form words.