I remember my mother reading to me when I was a small child.  I remember watching as she showed me words she read.  "Can you say that?" she asked.  She made reading an adventure.

"A is for Apple," Mom said many times.  I listened intently then pointed at the letter and repeated the rhyme.  Time and again my mother listened to me as I sounded out letters and simple words.  By the time I reached kindergarten I could read simple sentences.

A year or so later I remember reading Dick and Jane stories to Mom as my reading skills increased.  I remember running home and telling her I was in the 'Red Birds,' which was the highest reading group in my 2nd grade class.

During my high school years I remember using a Reader's Digest magazine to challenge my mother to Word Power contests.  We read the words presented by Reader's Digest and wrote a definition for each word.  We checked our answers and compared our scores.  My freshman, sophomore, and junior years Mom won most the challenges, but my senior year I reversed the trend.  "It's about time," she said.

I remember Mom giving me a lifetime love of reading.  Whenever I read a good book I appreciate this gift given to me by my mother.  Incredibly, she did the same for each of my eleven brothers and sisters.  In a day when parents are inundated with distractions there is no greater investment in time than reading to your children.

If you liked this article you'll love J-me's hilarious new book, "Mason Bricklin."  It's probably the funniest book you'll read all year!

Just click the link below to purchase this masterpiece of family humor.