zen habits has an article on How to be a Great Dad.
7. Read to them. This is one of the most important things you can do for your child. First of all, it’s so much fun. Kids books are really cool, and it’s great when you can share something this wonderful with your child. Second, you are teaching them one of the most fundamentally important skills (reading) that will pay off dividends for life. And third, you are spending time with them, you’re sitting or lying close together, and you are enjoying each other’s company.
In addition to this good advice, I also advocate writing with them, or just writing whilst they are around. Children want to do what you are doing. Recently, my son has really picked up his writing skills, and one of the contributing factors is that I have put down the PDA, stopped typing (so much) at the keyboard and picked up a pen and started writing on paper.
If a child sees you doing that, he will be more likely to copy you. In the same way, that if you sit around and watch TV, they will do the same.
Reading is something I’ve done with all my children since they’ve been born. It is no suprise that my eldest loves reading. When I take her to ballet I see other children playing games on Nintendo DS, whilst she will be devouring a library book.
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