Reading with your child remains one of the simplest and most powerful gifts you can offer. Those shared moments do far more than build language: they nurture empathy, helping children imagine how others feel; they cultivate delayed gratification as they eagerly wait for the next chapter; and they teach the gentle art of turn‑taking through conversation, questions, and shared wonder. Wrapped around all of this is the physical closeness, that deep sense of safety and comfort, which children treasure long after the book is closed.
In school, we can always tell when a child has been read to or with regularly. It shows not only in their vocabulary and comprehension but in their confidence, curiosity and emotional readiness to learn. It is one of the very few factors that makes a truly transformational difference. In fact, the academic impact of being read to far outweighs variables such as family wealth, being born prematurely, breastfeeding, tutor input or how many educational toys fill the house. Regular shared reading simply has no substitute.
And importantly, this is not something just for little ones. Many of us, even as adults, love being read to. There is something profoundly soothing and connecting about listening to a story. It’s why mindfulness apps now offer bedtime stories for grown‑ups: we never lose that comfort. So please try to continue to read to your children even when they can read themselves and as they begin to navigate the choppy waters of teenage years.
A few minutes each evening truly changes a child’s trajectory. It is the most joyful, low‑cost, high‑impact habit a family can build; its effects last a lifetime.
