Washington, DC (NAPSI) - Studies show that proficient reading skills are crucial to academic success. Yet two-thirds of eighth graders do not read at the “proficient” level, according to the 2011 Nation’s Report Card, a report commissioned by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

“Building a literacy-rich environment at home can truly build lifelong readers and lead to success in school and in life,” said Francie Alexander, chief academic officer at Scholastic. “Reading at home is a great way for families to take time out of doing ‘homework’ and turn reading into ‘homefun.’ “

Parents can help prepare their children for success in the classroom by following a few tips on how to encourage reading outside of school every day:

Make reading a social event: Family book clubs can be a great way to turn reading into a social activity while incorporating family and friends.

Let your kids have a say: Let kids choose which books they want to read. Nine out of 10 children say they are more likely to finish books they choose themselves, according to Scholastic’s 2010 Kids & Family Reading Report.

Start the day right: Breakfast can help kids boost their academic performance by increasing their focus. Before heading out the door for school, have a complete breakfast. Cereal, fruit and milk is a convenient option that kids love.

Turn reading into a fun family experience: Add fun to reading by having an animated, read-out-loud session during an afterschool break with snacks such as Nutri-Grain Cereal Bars or curling up with a great story before bedtime.

Get a great start: Kellogg’s and Scholastic are teaming up to help families get a great start to each and every school day by providing a coupon for free Scholastic books valued up to $5 with the purchase of two specially marked Kellogg’s products at Walmart.

To get a coupon and for full offer details, visit www.KelloggsFamilyRewards.com/Scholastic and enter the codes inside participating boxes of Kellogg’s products. The coupon can be redeemed on the Scholastic online store.

To further encourage in-home reading, parents can access free reading resources at www.scholastic.com/readeveryday as part of Scholastic’s Read Every Day literacy campaign.