"Reading aloud to and with young children is an experience that serves a variety of purposes. In Book Smart: How to Support Successful, Motivated Readers, the experience of reading together is used as a vehicle for discussing the varied yet interconnected language and literacy skills that jumpstart the career of a successful reader. Authored by two passionate psychologists and educators, this book is a how-to guide rich with stories, lessons, activities, and ideas aimed at addressing the broad range of interpersonal, social, emotional, and motivational skills that must be fostered in young children. The early chapters in this book will help you get your child ready for school and ready to read, and the later chapters will help you foster your child's lifelong love of reading. Throughout the book, the authors also provide tips for building a special bond with your child through reading together - from giving appropriate praise to modeling persistence. Perhaps most importantly, this book serves as a guide along the path to becoming an independent reader. This journey begins with a discussion of oral language and emergent literacy skills and then moves into the child's early writing attempts, story comprehension, general knowledge development and social-emotional growth. A highly informative but light-hearted read, this book will allow you to bring the joy of reading into your home"--