<img class="alignleft" style="border: 2px none; margin: 8px;" src="http://www.myubam.com/ecommerce/images/mkt_emails/Feb10Hostess.jpg" alt="Feb10Hostess Special" width="250px" height="250" />Fill your home with wonderful books for your family – and share the love of reading with your friends. It’s easy and fun! This February, every Hostess may DOUBLE their rewards, with a qualifying show. <a id="aptureLink_KFRv17wvHN" href="mailto:encourageliteracy@gmail.com">Contact me</a> to reserve your date!

Don't "do" shows?  Don't have enough time?  Feel like your kids have enough books?  House too small?

I'd urge you to reconsider after reading the following article, posted on the <a id="aptureLink_OIQKDgzUxw" href="http://www.rif.org/parents/articles/providing_a_literacy-rich_home.mspx">Reading is Fundamental</a> website:

<strong>Providing a Literacy-Rich Home Environment</strong>

Literacy development is a continuous process that begins in infancy when babies are first exposed to language, books, and stories. Its roots are in the home, with branches extending to other environments.

Books are the key ingredient to creating a literacy-rich home environment. Families can support language and literacy learning by creating a home atmosphere in which reading, writing, talking, and listening are a natural part of daily life.

<strong>In literacy-rich homes, families:</strong>
<ol>
	<li>Establish a regular time and place for daily read-aloud sessions, such as before bed or during bath time.</li>
	<li>Keep on hand a variety of reading materials: picture books, chapter books, atlases, dictionaries, magazines, and newspapers. They also get library cards for everyone and use them often.</li>
</ol>
<a id="aptureLink_eAteDbqasN" href="http://www.rif.org/parents/articles/providing_a_literacy-rich_home.mspx">Read the rest of the article</a>.