How long should parents read to their children?

By Maxine Roeper Cohen, M.S.

Parents who enjoy reading eagerly await the birth of their first child so that they can impart that love to the next generation. Early literacy development is promoted by speaking, singing, interacting, playing, smiling, and choreographing that reciprocal dance between parent and child. As baby moves through the first year of development, it is a magical time to read cloth books which a baby can gnaw on with utter delight, and then progress to hard page books which can also be chewed on (literally). Then it’s on to funny, rhyming, delightful picture books which capture the child’s imagination. During the next few years of toddlerhood and pre-school ages, parent and child enjoy precious time together, discovering all sorts of make believe and illustrations, discovering favorite authors, and imagining all types of situations as they sit and read together. As the child matures, some sight words become familiar, and, little by little, the magic is passed along, the light bulb goes on, and that child develops the understanding of how to read by him or herself. How powerful and exciting that moment is, and how proud both the child and parents feel. 

Once children can read independently, parents may question how long they should continue reading aloud to their children. Should a parent allow the child to read on his/her own to build that skill? Or, should a parent continue to read to the child on a daily basis? Usually, by the end of first grade, most children are independent readers. A Scholastic Corporation’s Kids and Family Reading Report, released in 2015, surveyed 2,558 parents and children. It was found that nearly one in four parents of children aged 6 to 17 stopped reading aloud to their children before they were 9 years old. The parents said that their children were old enough to read on their own. Sadly, many children wished their parents hadn’t stopped reading to them. Eight in ten children ages 6 to 17 indicated that they liked being read aloud to because it was a special time together with their parents. Among children ages 6 to 11, 40% wished their parents would continue reading to them. Having a parent’s undivided attention, and enjoying that one-on-one closeness, is so important. There is also a difference between a child reading silently to him or herself, and the magical quality of a parent reading a book aloud with great expression. When a child is tired at bedtime, nothing is better than being read to by a loving parent. 

As with much of life, balance is important. Children need to choose a variety of books to read by themselves, both for pleasure and for school. Parents also need to continue reading to their children, both for their children’s, and their own, pleasure. Let’s keep the love of reading, and being read to, alive!! Your family life will be richer for it!

Maxine Roeper Cohen is a Parent Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County’s Family Health and Wellness Program. She can be reached at mc333@cornell.edu.