New York ? The National Center for Family Literacy is challenging families to spend 15 minutes a day together reading aloud.

The goal of the campaign is both to promote family bonding and improve children’s literacy skills, self-confidence and overall academic achievement.

The literacy center has partnered with Snuggle Fabric Softener, which is featuring reading tips and activities on its Web site, Snuggle.com.

Some of their suggested ways to clear 15 minutes from a family’s busy schedule includes:

Keep five books in the car for reading while on the go.

Encourage kids to help around the house by reading recipes for meals, instructions for laundry, or directions on a toy.

When sitting at a restaurant, encourage children to read the menu aloud.

Offer a late-night treat. Use “Can I stay up a little longer?” as an opportunity to read a story with a child in bed.

Parents and children could keep an interactive journal in a small notebook where they write short, expressive notes to each other and read each other’s entries