Importance of reading to your child: research results

As an avid reader myself, reading is just fun – even if it’s reading a picture book out loud. Beyond being enjoyable, research has found that reading to your child is super important to his/her development. Read on for some research-backed reasons why reading to your child is important.

Learning to read doesn’t ‘just happen’

Reading skills in the U.S., on average, are shockingly low. For instance, reports show that “50% of adults cannot read a book written at an eighth-grade level”¹. The 2022 4th-grade reading assessment showed that:²

• 37% of students read below the ‘basic’ level
• 29% read at the ‘basic’ level
• 24% of students read at the ‘proficient’ level
• only 9% read at the ‘advanced’ level.

What do these levels mean? The ‘basic’ level for 4th grade includes simple things like “sequence or categorize events from the story” or “identify explicit details from the text”. The ‘advanced’ level includes things like “compare two texts to support an opinion”.³

Statistics show that “[a] child is 90% likely to remain a poor reader at the end of the fourth grade if the child is a poor reader at the end of first grade”⁴. Research links reading well to a long list of positive outcomes, such as less poverty, better health, and better education⁵.

But reading to your child helps your child learn to read, and read well

One author argues that “[t]he single most significant factor influencing a child’s early educational success is an introduction to books and being read to at home prior to beginning school”⁶. Part of that is that reading is so fundamental for education. Early access to books is crucial for reading.

Research has linked reading to children to their development of pre-literacy skills. And pre-literacy skills influence how well children will read later.⁷ Pre-literacy skills include⁸:

• learning letters and that they represent words,
• learning how to handle a book,
• getting to know a wide range of words,
• learning about stories and their structure, and
• learning about how a language works, including grammar and phonological awareness (such as the letter-sound connection).

One study with more than 20,000 children (kindergarten/ 1st grade) found that “[t]hose who are read to at least three times a week are almost twice as likely to score in the top 25 percent in reading than children read to less than three times a week”⁹.

Moreover, research also links RAN (rapid automatized naming) to later reading. Basically, on a RAN task, an adult shows a child several rows, each with supposedly familiar objects, letters, or numbers. The adult then asks the child to name the objects (left to right, top to bottom, like in a text). The adult administering the task times how long it takes the child to do so¹⁰. Since the task deals with naming familiar objects, children need to be familiar with pictures of objects and their names. For instance, they need to be able to recognize a drawing of a fish as a fish to be able to say the word out loud. Reading aloud to your child can help them make word-picture associations as they see different illustrations of the same word (such as fish). This makes it easier to recognize the word in a new drawing.

Systematic phonics instruction (i.e., learning how to decode words) is crucial for learning to read well¹¹. But, looking at more than 200 studies published over decades, one book shows children also need “exposure to comprehensible text with appropriate elaborative assistance”. ‘Elaborative assistance’ includes explaining words. It also includes providing “background information for a story”¹².

Reading to your child improves his/her vocabulary

Reading to your child also helps build his/her vocabulary. This helps them to learn to read as well as learn a wide variety of subjects^{13 5, 14}. ^{14, 23}.

Think how many children’s books feature animals, for instance. Even if you haven’t been to a zoo yet with your child, a book might introduce him/her to a giraffe. How often would giraffes come up in your daily speech, if not for a book? Research actually discovered that children’s books contain a lot of rare words. Those words are not found in most everyday conversations¹⁴.

How many words does your child get exposed to when you read to him/her? In one study, researchers analyzed how many words board and picture books contain on average. They then used that number to estimate how many words children hear when being read to. They assumed board books until age 3 and then picture books until age 5. The researchers estimate that from birth through age 5, if you read to your child on average¹⁵

• 1 book every two months (so 6 books a year, or 30 books over 5 years), they would hear 4662 words
• 1 book once or twice a week (so 52 to 104 books a year, or 260 to 520 books over 5 years), they would hear  63,570 words
• 1 book “3-5 times” a week (so 156 to 260 books a year, or 780 to 1300 over 5 years), they would hear 169,520 words
• 1 book every day (so 365 books a year or 1825 books over 5 years), they would hear 296,660 words
• 5 books every day (so 1825 books a year or 9125 over 5 years), they would hear 1,483,300 words

Yes, you read that right. There’s a difference of more than 1.4 MILLION words and more than 9000 books readings. That’s a lot, both in new content and in reinforcing vocabulary. Parents can read one book multiple times; each time counts as a book. Repeating a book over and over helps reinforce vocabulary and learn language¹⁶.

Reading to your child is an opportunity for quality talking time and bonding

Reading to your child is a great opportunity for quality talking time. For instance, you can talk about the story and the pictures in the book.¹⁷ Talking about the books helps your child to make a connection between the book and his/her life. It also helps them “to make sense of their own lives, especially at a young age”¹⁸. It can be used to discuss a wide range of topics¹⁹.

One study recorded parents speaking to their children at age 3. Children of one group of parents on average “only heard about 616 words per hour”. Children in another group “heard an average of 2153 words per hour”. The researchers estimated that over the course of 4 years, this difference would amount to a more than”30 million word gap“. They found that how much their parents talked to them had a huge impact on the children’s vocabulary. “At age 3”, children in the group of parents that talked more had a “vocabulary of 1100 words” while the children of those who talked less had only a vocabulary of “just above 500 words”. The researchers looked at some of the same kids at ages 9 to 10. They found that these “large differences in children’s language experience were tightly linked to large differences in child outcomes”.²⁰

Moreover, reading to your child is also good for your relationship with him/her and, through that, their development. As one site puts it: “When it comes to children, one of the most important things you can do to positively influence their development is spend time with them […] Reading a favorite book to your children not only helps you bond with them but also gives your children a sense of intimacy and well-being”²¹. For instance, “[r]egularly reading to a child for the love of it provides a connection between parent and child from the very early days and helps build strong family ties. Lines from favourite stories enter the family lexicon. Families who enjoy reading together have more opportunities for discussion, developing empathy and attachment.”²²

Reading to your child provides important sensory input

When your child listens to a recording of a book, it’s not at all the same as when you read the book to them:

“The sensory experiences of sitting with a caregiver, hearing that familiar voice, and feeling a book in their hands are all important for kids’ brain development […] “The physical contact that you get from being held by your parent while you’re reading actually helps to engage neurons in the brain, which make kids more receptive to the language and the cognitive stimulation that they’re getting from that experience,” Dr. Phillips says.”²³

Reading to your child helps him/her to like reading

Having that shared time with your child also helps your child to like reading²⁴:

” “Every time we read to a child, we’re sending a ‘pleasure’ message to the child’s brain… You could even call it a commercial, conditioning the child to associate books and print with pleasure” (ReadAloud.org)”

Jim Trelasse²⁵

Liking to read is not just important for learning in school, but also for learning throughout one’s life. It can also improve well-being. ²⁶

Reading to your child impacts their brain development

Your child’s brain is rapidly developing from birth through age 3. Reading to your child helps to make connections in your child’s brain and increases activity in certain regions of the brain.²⁷

One study used brain scans of 3- to 5-year-olds while they were being read a story in the lab. They found that “the more often children had story time at home, the more brain activity they showed while listening to stories in the research lab. The difference was seen in a brain region involved in so-called semantic processing—the ability to extract meaning from words.”²⁸

Another study compared brain scans of preschoolers who often had a caregiver read to them and those who used screens daily (“more than one hour a day”). Those who got read to had way more “organized white matter in the language centers” of the brain than those who used screens. Moreover, “children who frequently read books with their caregiver scored higher on cognitive tests”.²⁹

Reading to your child helps their motor development

At the early stages, learning to handle books – such as helping to turn pages, lift flaps, etc.- also helps your baby’s/toddler’s motor development.

Reading to your child helps their emotional development and attention span

“According to a recently published study, reading to very young children is linked to decreased levels of aggression, hyperactivity, and attention difficulties”.³⁰ Reading to your child also helps build their attention span and memory. ³¹

In general, reading for pleasure is also associated with better emotional competency/ awareness, empathy, and decision-making³². Studies found that reading can lead to greater satisfaction with life, better self-esteem, better sleep, and lower stress levels.³³

When should you start reading to your child?

The best time to start is when your child is born. The second best time is now.

Seriously. Even if your baby can’t talk yet, read to him/her³⁴. One study compared parents reading 1 book a day to their babies to those reading less. Both at 9 months and 12 months, babies who got read to 7 books/week had significantly “higher expressive, receptive and combined language scores” than those who got exposed to less³⁵.

Your library and get-a-free-book programs can help

Your local public library might have free membership and a big selection of board and picture books. They might also let you order books from other libraries for free through ILL, which can be helpful to get more Jewish books.

Some places have “little free libraries”, which aren’t actually libraries in the normal sense, but people can drop off books there or take books.

If your child is Jewish and you live in the U.S. (or in some other participating countries), s/he is eligible to get a free book a month from PJ library. Check the hashkafa of the books when you receive them to ensure they fit with your family.

There might also be free secular book giveaways, for instance through some early learning programs.

References

1. Admin-Travis (2019). 30 Key child literacy stats parents need to be aware of. https://literacyproj.org/2019/02/14/30-key-child-literacy-stats-parents-need-to-be-aware-of/ (last checked Oct 20, 2023), some referencing links within the document are broken ↩︎
2. NAEP Reading Assessment (2022) https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/highlights/reading/2022/ (last checked Oct 20, 2023) ↩︎
3. NAEP Grade 4. https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/reading/achieve.aspx#2009_grade4 (last checked Oct 20, 2023) ↩︎
4. Admin-Travis (2019). 30 Key child literacy stats parents need to be aware of. https://literacyproj.org/2019/02/14/30-key-child-literacy-stats-parents-need-to-be-aware-of/ (last checked Oct 20, 2023), some referencing links within the document are broken ↩︎
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7. literature review in Duursma, E, Augustyn, M & Zuckerman, B. (2008). Reading aloud to children: the evidence. Arch Dis Child, Vol 93, No. 7, p. 554-557; see also e.g. Powell, D. & Atkinson, L. (2021). Unraveling the links between rapid automatized naming (RAN), phonological awareness, and reading. Journal of Educational Psychology, 113(4), 706–718. (Abstract) https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2020-62984-001 ↩︎
8. literature review in Duursma, E, Augustyn, M & Zuckerman, B. (2008). Reading aloud to children: the evidence. Arch Dis Child, Vol 93, No. 7, p. 554-557; see also e.g. Powell, D. & Atkinson, L. (2021). Unraveling the links between rapid automatized naming (RAN), phonological awareness, and reading. Journal of Educational Psychology, 113(4), 706–718. (Abstract) https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2020-62984-001 ↩︎
9. Denton, K., West, J. (2002) Children’s Reading and Mathematics Achievement in Kindergarten and First Grade https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2002/2002125.pdf, p. 16 ↩︎
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11. e.g., Wexler, N. The Knowledge Gap. ↩︎
12. Isenhour, J.A (n.d.). Book Review of “The Literacy Crisis: False claims, Real Solutions. by Jeff McQuillan” (1998). https://archive.nwp.org/cs/public/download/nwp_file/534/The_Literacy_Crisis.pdf?x-r=pcfile_d ↩︎
13. literature review in Duursma, E, Augustyn, M & Zuckerman, B. (2008). Reading aloud to children: the evidence. Arch Dis Child, Vol 93, No. 7, p. 554-557; see also e.g. Powell, D. & Atkinson, L. (2021). Unraveling the links between rapid automatized naming (RAN), phonological awareness, and reading. Journal of Educational Psychology, 113(4), 706–718. (Abstract) https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2020-62984-001 All4Kids. (n.d.) The importance of reading to your children. https://www.all4kids.org/news/blog/the-importance-of-reading-to-your-children/#:~:text=Studies%20have%20shown%20that%20“the,”%20(PBS.org). (last checked Oct 22, 23⁾Sheldon-Dean, H. (2023). Why Is It Important to Read to Your Child? https://childmind.org/article/why-is-it-important-to-read-to-your-child/ (last checked Oct 23, 23) ↩︎
14. literature review in Duursma, E, Augustyn, M & Zuckerman, B. (2008). Reading aloud to children: the evidence. Arch Dis Child, Vol 93, No. 7, p. 554-557; see also e.g. Powell, D. & Atkinson, L. (2021). Unraveling the links between rapid automatized naming (RAN), phonological awareness, and reading. Journal of Educational Psychology, 113(4), 706–718. (Abstract) https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2020-62984-001 ↩︎
15. A ‘million word gap’ for children who aren’t read to at home
    That’s how many fewer words some may hear by kindergarten https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190404074947.htm (last checked Oct 20, 2023) ↩︎
16. Sheldon-Dean, H. (2023). Why Is It Important to Read to Your Child? https://childmind.org/article/why-is-it-important-to-read-to-your-child/ (last checked Oct 23, 23) ↩︎
17. literature review in Duursma, E, Augustyn, M & Zuckerman, B. (2008). Reading aloud to children: the evidence. Arch Dis Child, Vol 93, No. 7, p. 554-557; see also e.g. Powell, D. & Atkinson, L. (2021). Unraveling the links between rapid automatized naming (RAN), phonological awareness, and reading. Journal of Educational Psychology, 113(4), 706–718. (Abstract) https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2020-62984-001 ↩︎
18. All4Kids. (n.d.) The importance of reading to your children. https://www.all4kids.org/news/blog/the-importance-of-reading-to-your-children/#:~:text=Studies%20have%20shown%20that%20“the,”%20(PBS.org). (last checked Oct 22, 23) see also literature review in Duursma, E, Augustyn, M & Zuckerman, B. (2008). Reading aloud to children: the evidence. Arch Dis Child, Vol 93, No. 7, p. 554-557; see also e.g. Powell, D. & Atkinson, L. (2021). Unraveling the links between rapid automatized naming (RAN), phonological awareness, and reading. Journal of Educational Psychology, 113(4), 706–718. (Abstract) https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2020-62984-001 and Sheldon-Dean, H. (2023). Why Is It Important to Read to Your Child? https://childmind.org/article/why-is-it-important-to-read-to-your-child/ (last checked Oct 23, 23) ↩︎
19. All4Kids. (n.d.) The importance of reading to your children. https://www.all4kids.org/news/blog/the-importance-of-reading-to-your-children/#:~:text=Studies%20have%20shown%20that%20“the,”%20(PBS.org). (last checked Oct 22, 23), Sheldon-Dean, H. (2023). Why Is It Important to Read to Your Child? https://childmind.org/article/why-is-it-important-to-read-to-your-child/ (last checked Oct 23, 23) ↩︎
20. literature review in Duursma, E, Augustyn, M & Zuckerman, B. (2008). Reading aloud to children: the evidence. Arch Dis Child, Vol 93, No. 7, p. 554-557; https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2020-62984-001 Hart, B., Risley, T. (1995). Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children (Abstract) and https://products.brookespublishing.com/Meaningful-Differences-in-the-Everyday-Experience-of-Young-American-Children-P14.aspx and http://www.wvearlychildhood.org/resources/C-13_Handout_1.pdf ↩︎
21. All4Kids. (n.d.) The importance of reading to your children. https://www.all4kids.org/news/blog/the-importance-of-reading-to-your-children/#:~:text=Studies%20have%20shown%20that%20“the,”%20(PBS.org). (last checked Oct 22, 23) ↩︎
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23. Sheldon-Dean, H. (2023). Why Is It Important to Read to Your Child? https://childmind.org/article/why-is-it-important-to-read-to-your-child/ (last checked Oct 23, 23) ↩︎
24. All4Kids. (n.d.) The importance of reading to your children. https://www.all4kids.org/news/blog/the-importance-of-reading-to-your-children/#:~:text=Studies%20have%20shown%20that%20“the,”%20(PBS.org). (last checked Oct 22, 23)
    Natural Literacy Trust (2020). Reading to children is so powerful, so simple and yet so misunderstood. https://literacytrust.org.uk/blog/reading-children-so-powerful-so-simple-and-yet-so-misunderstood/ (last checked Oct 22, 23) Abram, T. (2012). Reading aloud to kids has many benefits https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/reading_aloud_to_kids_has_many_benefits#:~:text=Reading%20aloud%20helps%20develop%20attention,them%20successfully%20sail%20into%20reading. (last checked Oct 23, 23 ↩︎
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26. All4Kids. (n.d.) The importance of reading to your children. https://www.all4kids.org/news/blog/the-importance-of-reading-to-your-children/#:~:text=Studies%20have%20shown%20that%20“the,”%20(PBS.org). (last checked Oct 22, 23)
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