Everyone complains about junk mail. On the other hand, everyone loves to open envelopes and scrutinize their contents. Save your junk mail and let your youngster open and read it. Most junk mail is written and designed for eye appeal and quick-and-easy reading.

A good family activity for a cold or wet winter's night is to choose a topic and look it up in the family reference books. Let the youngster read it aloud (with help if necessary), and then the family can enter into a discussion. For example, someone might bring up "ants" as a topic. Everyone has been plagued with ants in the house, but what are they really like? What are their modes of living? For example, how fascinating to learn that ants "raise" aphids, corral them, and milk them. Or-are all bird beaks alike? If different why? The possibilities for subjects are endless. And once the resources of the reference book have been exhausted, the child may wish to learn even more on the subject. Here is where the local library can become an important resource. Work with your local librarian (or bookstore manager). These people know what is new and are delighted to make suggestions. Ask them about trends. You may want to offer a bit of information to them about your child's reading needs and interests and about your role in trying to meet these needs.

A number of hobbies, such as knitting and building model kits, require a fair amount of reading. Encourage these, but stand ready to offer abundant and cheerful help when it becomes necessary. It is important to prevent or eliminate any frustration that may accompany the act of reading. More ground will be lost than can be regained in a long time.

Use those convenience foods. What family doesn't occasionally resort to putting frozen chicken in the oven? The directions are amazingly simple! Try something like, "Bill, will you put that chicken in the oven! I'll start the salad. Just read the directions about preheating the oven." (Not only does this stimulate reading but it can be extremely helpful to the harried homemaker!) another tactic might be, "I can't read the tiny print (on medicine riles, cereal boxes, and other pack aged items). Will you read it me?" In other words, it doesn't hurt to be devious!

If the youngster in your family evidences particular interest in a rock star, sports figure, et cetera, suggest that he keep a scrapbook of articles about this person. If you spot an article he's not likely to read, clip it out and give it to him, saying "Here's an interesting article for your scrapbook." You can be sure it will be read.

Study the marketplace for novels or nonfiction books that have been designed especially with the low-level reader in mind. There is now available a large selection of books of high interest-low vocabulary that the young person can read quickly and enjoy thoroughly. You need not urge him to read these books. Just keep them available on the coffee table with the current newspapers and magazines, and chances are great he will pick them up and read them.

next: Helping Your Child At Home With The Neurological Impress Method of Reading