One of the most important things that you can do to prepare your child for kindergarten is to read to them. Here are some pointers: 1. When reading to your child, use your finger to point to the words as you read them. (using a bouncing finger) 2. Discuss the characters and setting of the story. 3. Point out common words such as: the, a, go, to, etc... and ask your child to look for the word somewhere else on the page. 4. When reading one of your child's favorite stories, stop and have your child fill in the next word in the story. 5. Have your child point out environmental print when they see it. Words such as Stop, Cheerios, Target, and Exit are words that your child will recognize. 6. Have your child summarize the story for you. All of these skills will help get your child ready to read.