Many parents believe that they should begin to teach their children to read when they are slightly more than toddlers. This is ne if the child chows a real interest but forcing a child could be counter- productive if she isn't ready. Wise parents will have a hopeful attitude and take the lead from their child. (1)______ they should provide is a selection of stimulating toys, books and other activities. Nowadays there is plenty of good material available for young children, and of course, seeing plenty of books in use them to read. Of course, books are no longer the only source of stories and information. There is also a huge range of videos, which can reinforce and extend the pleasure a child nds in a book and are (2)_____ helping to increase vocabulary and concentration. Television gets a bad review as far as children are concerned, mainly because too many spend too much time watching programmes not intended for their age (3)______ . Too many television programmes induce an incurious, uncritical attitude that is going to make learning much more difcult. (4)_____ , discriminating viewing of programmes designed for young children can be useful. Just as adults enjoy reading a book after seeing it serialised on television, so children will pounce on books which (5)_____ their favourite television characters and videos can add a new dimension to a story known from a book.