Well, it happens because of the adults that surround them:

這通常需要周遭人們的合作。

Mom, Dad, Aunty and Uncle, Grandma and Grandpa.

像是父母、叔叔、阿姨及祖父母...

Everybody has a part to play.

每個人都要參與。

And I am so often asked, 'What do you want us to do?'

很多人會問：「我們該怎麼做？」

Well I've got some top tips. And they are top tips that all of us can achieve.

我準備了一些絕妙的訣竅，人人都可以做到。

Unless you can talk, you will NOT be able to read.

說話是閱讀的基礎。

And if you can't read you're not going to love it.

如果你無法閱讀，便不可能熱愛閱讀。

So we have to give children the tools for reading.

而工欲善其事，必先利其器。

Any child that has a wide vocabulary, we know is at an advantage.

我們都知道，龐大的詞彙量有助於孩子閱讀能力的發展。

So where do you acquire your words and your language?

那麼人們是從哪裡學習語言和詞彙？

You acquire it from people talking to you.

從與你對話的人身上學習。

You don't acquire it from a screen, you acquire it from human beings.

不是透過電子產品，而是透過真實的互動來學習。

So from the moment your child is in the womb, and I do mean in the womb

所以當孩子還在肚子裡，沒錯，就是懷孕期間。

We should be singing enjoying rhymes and talking to our children.

我們就應該哼輕快的旋律給孩子聽，跟他們對話。

Talk as you walk.

走路的時候和孩子說說話。

Talk as you do, talk as you cook.

做事的時候和孩子說話，煮飯的時候和孩子說話。

Fill your children with vocabulary and language for later use.

幫助孩子熟悉他將來會使用的語言和詞彙。

Of course, you'll also be developing their curiosity, their imagination, alongside this.

與此同時，你也在刺激孩子的想像力與好奇心。

Where better place to talk, than when you're playing.

學習語言最好的時機，是在遊戲中進行。

And of course we know that research shows us that children who played fared better in life.

我們都知道研究顯示，喜歡遊戲的孩子在人生進程上有更亮眼的表現。

They developed as whole human beings.

他們成長為所謂的「全人」。

Play is vital and essential, but of course what play does is encourages you to talk.

遊戲是重要且必須的活動，而遊戲的目的是鼓勵你說話。

In fact, some of my best talking was when I was playing.

事實上，我個人的最佳演繹就是在遊戲中誕生的。

Often on my own even. It still encouraged me to talk.

很多時候即使沒有其他觀眾，遊戲也能自然而然讓我說起話來。

Well, children who read as adults, almost all of them came from homes where other adults read.

有閱讀習慣的孩子幾乎都來自有閱讀習慣的家庭。

So, it's vital that you are the best advert for reading yourself.

因此以身作則很重要。

Your children have to see you reading, otherwise why would they want to do it?

你要讓孩子看到你在閱讀，否則他們怎麼可能會有興趣？

Now it can be the newspaper they catch you're reading, magazines, the cereal box, books

你可以讀報紙、雜誌，營養榖片盒子上的說明或是書籍。

It's lovely when they know that you read in bed for hours and you couldn't put the light out.

最好讓他們看到你讀得廢寢忘食。

You have to be a role model for reading, because it's infectious. They will catch that bug.

你必須成為孩子的閱讀楷模，因為閱讀具有感染力，而孩子會被感染。

We now know that the single most important activity for giving children a love of reading

現知能讓孩子愛上閱讀最重要的一項活動，

is that they were read to aloud regularly.

就是經常有人朗讀故事給他們聽。

Sadly we have discovered that almost one in five children

可惜我們發現，平均每五個孩子中就有一個孩子，

have rarely been read to their moms and dads.

幾乎沒有聽父母讀過故事書。

And only one in five parents read regularly.

而平均每五對父母中大概只有一對會經常說故事給他們的孩子聽。

So there is a lot still to be done.

由此可見，我們還有很多進步空間。

And, it's got to be a rip-roaring story and it has to be as often as possible.

另外，請務必盡量常說一些歡樂的故事給孩子聽。

Sometimes snuggly at nighttime, sometimes in the daytime we're all singing and dancing.

晚上可以溫和一點，早上的時候可以嘗試唱個歌跳個舞。

Everyone of us that enjoys being with children has to be a performer

每個喜歡與孩子互動的人都必須成為一個表演者。

And a performer of stories.

一個演繹故事的說書人。

So as often as you can, and when you're in the mood, remember don't do it when you're not in the mood.

所以當你興致來了、記得如果沒有那個興致就別讀，

Read aloud to your children.

盡量多朗讀故事給你的孩子聽。

And don't be frightened to make up silly stories.

不要害怕編出愚蠢的故事。

we have discovered that dads somehow...I don't know why

我們發現爸爸通常...我也不知道為什麼，

But they are better than moms.

比媽媽還要會說故事。

They are the ones that are in the car making up those silly stories.

他們就是那個會在車上編出一些好笑的故事給孩子聽的人。

But what I guarantee is, if you make up a good story.

不過我敢保證，如果你故事說得好，

Your child, when they're 60,

你的孩子到了 60 歲都會記得，

will remember when mom or dad told them that silly story.

他的爸爸媽媽曾經跟他說過這個有趣的故事。

Please make sure that your children have as much access to books and magazines and comics

請確保你的孩子擁有大量的管道去接觸書、雜誌以及漫畫。

- Yes, comics are great!

沒錯，漫畫其實很棒！

A lot of people think, oh, comics are fantastic!

很多人認為漫畫的內容不切實際。

They're full of action, full of wonderful vocabulary, full of sound effects

但這類書籍其實用了許多美妙的詞彙來描寫動作場景與音效。

Really good for children.

這些都對孩子的詞彙累積很有幫助。

But please make sure your children have access to as much reading material as possible.

請務必盡可能給予孩子豐富的閱讀資源。

We know they can be expensive but there are second hand sales and public libraries

我們都知道書並不便宜，但你可以選擇購買二手書，或是到公共圖書館。

that will lend you up to 12 books at one go.

在那裡你一次最多可以借到 12 本書。

So make use of those, we're lucky to have those public libraries.

可以的話請善用這類公共圖書資源，我們很幸運能擁有這些資源。