Preschool Reading Study

 A new study found that parents and other caregivers are reading less often to their preschool-aged children than before the pandemic. The study also suggested that certain factors lead to a greater likelihood of regular shared reading habits at home, and others appear to have the opposite effect. Those insights may be useful to educators as they guide families toward establishing strong shared-reading habits at home—which can boost early literacy skills and hook kids on the joy of reading for fun. Having children’s books in the house increases the likelihood of shared reading. Kids who spent more time on screens got less shared reading time with parents or caregivers, and vice versa.

Jung K., & Barnett,. W. (2026).  Parent-Child Shared Book Reading With Preschoolers During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA,  9(8),  e2631611. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.31611