Selling your kids on story time: how--and why--to teach your children to love the written word.

• Author: Cortes, Ivana
• Position: Life in America

BEDTIME STORIES: those two simple words conjure up happy memories for many of us. If you fondly recall being nestled in a warm bed with your favorite stuffed animals while listening to mom or dad read a picture book, you might be surprised--and a little sad--to learn that this beloved nightly ritual is falling by the wayside in many families. A recent study found that only one in three families in the U.S. read to their children each night. It also noted that most kids are spending more time watching TV and playing video games than reading books.

Some people might write this trend off as a sign of our tech-heavy times but, if you are like many parents, the written word's decline in popularity still may make you uneasy--and for good reason, as reading is an important foundational skill that can, and will, shape the rest of a child's life.

Educators and pediatricians long have known that reading aloud to children influences their health, well-being, and development. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends reading to your baby every day from six months onward, because early exposure to words eventually helps youngsters become better readers and writers.

Reading stimulates language and cognitive abilities in the brain. Good readers do better in school, which contributes to overall confidence--which, in turn, contributes to overall success in life. In fact, a report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows that "children who don't read well by the end of third grade are four times more likely than proficient readers to drop out of high school."

Sure, we all have too much to do and too little time in which to do it, but the reading fix is not so hard and is well worth the 10 or 15 minutes it takes you to turn the pages of a children's book. Here are some suggestions to help modern parents make reading a part of everyday life and hopefully instill a lifetime love of reading in their children:

Make stories part of bedtime. Choosing this time of day to read to children increases the chances that they will feel positive about reading, according to Barry Zuckerman, chief of Pediatrics at Boston Medical Center and cofounder of Reach Out and Read. "It's tough for kids to say goodbye to the excitement of the day, so falling asleep can be so much sweeter with a parent at their side, reading their favorite bedtime story."

In this case, following the doctor's orders will be enjoyable for everyone. Children's books are some of the most fun reading...