Set an example. A child who sees parents reading each day learns that it's an important activity. Involve a child while reading a newspaper or magazine. Bring his or her attention to subjects with kid appeal. Make sure there are age-appropriate books around the house.
Research shows that reading ability is directly related to reading frequency.
Give a child his or her own bookcase and help fill it with a variety of exciting books. Use the TV as a springboard to reading. Introduce books about subjects a child finds appealing on television. Not its heroes but its households.