Kids that age seem to forget their parents after just a weekend away. But when he returned, his sons’ eyes lit up when they saw him.

They knew his voice. They knew him.

The family credits books – well, several books, technology and the family’s dedication to reading.

Before Mike left, he recorded himself reading aloud a dozen books – books like Good Night Moon, Guess How Much I Love You, and Green Eggs and Ham. And every night that he was gone, his wife Lisa and the kids would all sit together and watch a DVD of Mike reading before climbing into bed.

“Even before having kids, Mike and I knew we wanted ‘reading a book’ to be part of our kids’ bedtime routine. So, reading each night was already a given for us. We were afraid that a 15-month separation might emotionally impact the kids – even at such a young age. So we decided to record Mike reading and using this video as part of the kids bedtime routine,” says Lisa.

She was committed to playing the video every night. If she was out, the babysitters played it before bed.

“I don’t think we ever missed a night without that video,” says Lisa.

“And when I returned home,” says Mike. “Both Marcus and Christopher did a ‘double-take.’ They looked at me as if I was celebrity, wondering out loud how this character they watched every night was now standing in front of them.

“So rather than struggling with the idea that I belonged in their home, because of the books and the videos, they responded with pure joy,” says Mike. Then pausing, remembering, “That’s a moment I’ll cherish.”

Reading Is Fundamental took the family’s story to Fort Bragg, where families with a parent ready to deploy learned how they could stay connected, no matter how far apart war takes them.

On April 4, more than 400 children and their parents joined RIF at Devers Elementary School. Each child got to take home two free books and reading activity guides with tips for their parents. The kids were also treated to read-alouds from soldiers, including Mike. RIF partnered with United Through Reading for the event, where families also learned how to make their own videos before deployment.

Researchers say that reading aloud to children is the single most important thing you can do for early reading success.

Mike says that’s true, but he says reading aloud can mean a whole lot more.