Every exposure to reading and literacy-related activities is always helpful. However, this does not always foster the independence in using good reading strategies and behaviors. You can make reading aloud to your child a more meaningful experience by modifying your nightly read-alouds. For comprehension, talk about the story as you read it with your child. Ask meaningful "What do you think?," "How do you suppose?," or "Why do you think?," types of questions. Try to stray away from factual questions. To practice oral reading, take turns reading pages or paragraphs aloud. Or, when you use text with lots of dialogue, have your child take the voice of one character while you take the voice of the other character. Not matter what you decide to do; making your nightly read-alouds more interactive will make it a more meaningful learning experience for you child.