I must start with an image that floats in my imagination as I write today's title.

I imagine a parent sitting down regularly to read a book with a child. Actually, I am imagining a parent reading regularly in the morning at the child's preschool. In fact, what I am really imagining is an Aboriginal parent reading a picture book to a group of children at the local preschool in a remote community in Australia.

The routine of reading together introduces the practice of reading that - over time - becomes more nuanced. It becomes a space in which the participant can become more familiar with the features of reading and of meaning. The practice is a pivotal routine, and access to knowledge and resources to engage in that practice are often taken for granted.

I'll leave it that for the present moment.