A child begins to learn how to read and write on the day she is born. Literacy is a family affair.

Family literacy is as simple as having conversation with your child and as complex as talking about the sounds that each letter makes or learning how to write each letter of the alphabet.

You don't have to spend a lot of time "teaching" your child. Family literacy is something that happens in small moments throughout your day. As you read and write (the grocery list, the signs on the road) invite your child to participate. Talk about the letters and the words and what they mean. Read books together and ask your child to tell his own stories.

Moment by moment, you can help your child learn to read and write.