Yuma, Arizona (NAPSI) - It’s never too early to encourage children to read and, fortunately, there are easy, everyday activities that develop early literacy skills.

Based on recent early literacy research, the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) encourages parents to engage in five simple activities: reading, singing, talking, writing and playing with their children to support their child’s early literacy skills.

To make it all easier, ALSC has teamed up with LEGO® DUPLO® to create the Read! Build! Play! Preschool Reading List.

Developed for children under 5, each of the 10 books was selected by ALSC’s Early Childhood Programs and Services committee for age-appropriate content, engaging story, ability to inspire interactivity and creative play, and general availability in American libraries. Inspirational building instructions and activity suggestions are paired with each book, offering creative suggestions for children to play along with the stories.

“Through play, young children learn about their world. With this knowledge, they can understand books and stories once they begin to read,” said Starr Latronica, ALSC president. “Our member librarians are often asked by parents for age-appropriate book recommendations and tips to develop early literacy skills. By extending our successful partnership with LEGO DUPLO on the Read! Build! Play! initiative, we can offer new ways to engage children to develop even more readers.”

The comprehensive list has five books for children ages 1 through 3 and five books for children 3 through 5 years of age.