"About eight years ago, my husband and I decided to relegate the use of the television to a very minor part of the family’s entertainment — mostly for sports or for use with the VCR to watch a movie, about once a week. Instead of watching television in the evenings, we decided to start reading aloud together.

We have found reading a loud to be a great way to spend quality time together; it fosters intellectual growth for both of us, it stimulates interesting conversations, and it sets a good example for the children. During the day, of course, I read books of varying levels to my children and supply them with great selections of books to read to themselves, rather than letting them sit and passively watch the TV all the time. Why should my husband and I spend our evenings together any differently?"