Many public libraries offer children's story hour, which serves to showcase popular children's literature as well as entertain children. Parents should be encouraged to attend these events with their children, since they promote reading and can give parents ideas of which books their children like best. In addition to story hour, many libraries promote books that children and parents can read and enjoy together.
School libraries allow students to check out a few books at a time so they can read them in their free time. Some school systems offer incentives for children to read, such as small prizes for reading a certain number of hours. Parents can support good reading habits by encouraging their children to read so they can get the prize offered by the school.
Parents can read with their children at home in order to promote their literacy development. Whether reading aloud to the child or sitting and reading in the same room, these activities will give a child the encouragement and support she needs to read. A parent can also offer incentives to reading, such as a small prize or privilege in exchange for reading before dinner or after completing homework.
Some schools require students to read for a certain number of hours per week and record the title of the book and number of hours read in a reading log. One or both parents must then sign off on the child's progress. This will help get parents involved in a child's literacy development. When parents see reading as a necessity rather than a form of entertainment, they are more likely to make sure the child is reading.