There were cows and horses to see, but there were also books to be read at the Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo.

The Literacy Network sponsored a Reading Roundup during the annual stock show as a way to promote reading in children's lives.

The Sylvan Learning Center in Rapid City hopes to inspire the same outcome during February, which has been named "I Love to Read Month."

Jolene Geary of Sylvan said the center plans to visit every preschool and elementary school in Rapid City in February. Staff members will dress as Cat in the Hat and read to students. Sylvan also plans to donate a book to each school library.

Geary said education experts agree that children develop reading habits early and that parental involvement is critical to creating lifelong readers. She recommends parents spend at least one hour per week, 10 to 15 minutes a day, reading with their children.

"Children who read regularly at home do better in school," said Deanna Richardson, owner and director of education at Sylvan. "Parents play an instrumental role in the development of their children's reading behaviors and in fostering an enthusiasm for reading."

To help parents nurture their young readers, Sylvan offers a few tips for reading at home:

Preschool, kindergarten

n Make cookies together. Read the recipe aloud to your child.

n Read directions to your child while doing a project.

n Subscribe to an age-appropriate magazine for your child.

n Pick a storybook character and pretend that character is coming to dinner. Help your child plan activities.

n Read stories aloud and act them out.

Grades 1-3

n Subscribe to a magazine.

n After reading a nonfiction story, ask your child why she thinks the author wrote it.

n Read picture books by the same author and talk about how they are the same and different.

n After reading, ask your child about the characters and the story.

n Introduce your child to the library and make special visits there.

Grades 4-8

n Read the newspaper with your child. Ask his opinion about what you've read.

n Help your child with an experiment in his or her science book. Talk through each step and discuss what you're going to do next.

n Pick a different country each week and challenge children to learn a bit more about that country by visiting the library and researching it online.

n Make a weekly trip to the library.

n Encourage your child to read series books.

n Create a family book club where you and your child read the same book and discuss it.

n Help your children find a favorite author. Have them create alternate stories for the author's repetitive characters.

Grades 9-12

n Buy a set of reference books, software or CD-ROMs for everyday home use.

n Read the newspaper and discuss it with your child.

n Quiz your child when he or she has a test. This reinforces note-taking skills and study habits, and helps with reading comprehension.

n Encourage your children to talk about the latest book they are reading.

n Read classic works and compare them to today's world.

n Read books by the same author, comparing and contrasting style across the various books.