Reading aloud to children, even after they can read independently, provides benefits beyond literacy, according to a recent study. It found that just 15 minutes of shared reading each night helped strengthen children's empathy and creativity, Furthermore, it doesn't matter if the reader asks questions or not.
Winter, M. et al. (2026). Keep the bedtime story: A daily reading ritual improves empathy and creativity in children. PlusOne. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0340068
This study investigates how the ideal library space can be designed from the perspective of children in part of Turkey. The findings revealed that children see libraries not only as places for reading but also as centers for social interaction, learning and entertainment. Children's expectations included colorful and aesthetic designs, comfortable furniture, technological facilities, multifunctional spaces, integration of natural elements and spaces segmented by age group. (excerpted from abstract).
Yilmaz, E., & Kavak, A. (2025). Ideal library design from children's perspective: A phenomenological study. Children & Society.
A study by the American Institutes for Research reveals that gender stereotypes in STEM form as early as age 6, with children perceiving boys as better at computer science and engineering. This belief becomes more entrenched among girls over time, potentially deterring them from pursuing STEM careers.
Miller, D., & Tanenbaum, C. (2024). Analyzing the research on gender stereotypes in STEM. American Institutes for Research. https://www.air.org/project/analyzing-research-gender-stereotypes-stem
Parents' concerns about children's digital media use were investigated using data from semi‐structured interviews with 17 parents of children ages five to 11 at three branches of a U.S. urban public library system. Data were analyzed using collaborative inductive thematic analysis and analyzed with the lens of culturally‐constructed anxieties about new media. The most common concerns included worries about exposure to inappropriate content, worries about digital media taking up time that children would otherwise spend engaging in more meaningful activities, concerns about safety and privacy, and worries about negative effects on children's behaviors, attitudes, and social skills. Further analysis showed parents' deeper concern for children's healthy development to underlie these narrower concerns. The authors conclude with the recommendation to shift the framing of discourse around parenting with digital media from risk protection to digital media education.
Agosta, D. et al. (2024). :We were beaten down": Parents' concerns about children's digital media use. Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology.
Three national surveys asked parents and guardians about their perception of librarians' trustworthiness as professionals and curators of a library collection and their attitudes toward books and book bans.
"Top-level findings from the Parents Perception Report are:
The increase in book bans is a concerning trend threatening the democratic values of freedom of expression and access to information. The survey report should inform librarians about curating content and creating policies that align with community values and expectations, as well as inform policymakers and educators about making decisions that reflect the actual views of parents rather than those of special interest groups." (from Every Library Institute).
McGehee, M., & Chrastka, J.(2023). Parents' perception survey series final report. Every Library Institute.
https://assets.nationbuilder.com/votelibraries/pages/6280/attachments/original/1705534711/Parent_Perceptions_Final_Report_-_ELI_and_BR_-_17_January_2024.pdf?1705534711
A study surveyed parents in 2020 and 2021 about their children’s use of technology and social media during the pandemic. The study focused on youth younger than 12. Between 2020 and 2021 children used digital devices and social media more, and parents increasingly expressed worry about the amount of time their child was spending on those devices. Parents became more aware of their children's online use, and some changed their monitoring habits: either being more restrictive or more lenient.
McClain, C. (2022). How parents' views of their kids' screen time, social media use changed during COVID-19. Pew Research Center.
https://pewrsr.ch/3Koo0qU
"Ebooks have surged in popularity since the pandemic began, however, new research led by Natalia Kucirkova, professor of Early Childhood and Development at the University of Stavanger in Norway and Open University, found that young children were less likely to understand ebooks unless they had effective enhancements. “We found a negative impact of digital books on children’s (ages 1-8) learning when comparing digital and print books, mirroring the results of meta-analyses with adult readers,” Kucirkova says. But her research also demonstrated that when it comes to childhood reading not all digital books are equal. 'Our results are significantly moderated by the design of the tested digital books and may reflect the rather low quality of enhancements in the digital books available for young children.'” (excerpted from Ofgang, Dec. 10, 2021, Tech & Learning)
Furenes, M. I., Kucirkova, N., & Bus, A. G. (2021). A comparison of children’s reading on paper versus screen: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 91(4), 483-517. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.3102/0034654321998074
And earlier research: Kucirkova, N., & Littleton, K. (2016). The digital reading habits of children. A National Survey of Parents’ Perceptions of and Practices in Relation to Children’s Reading for Pleasure with Print and Digital Books. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Natalia-Kucirkova/publication/299563417_The_digital_reading_habits_of_children/links/56ff879508aee995dde79844/The-digital-reading-habits-of-children.pdf
The C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health found that 32% of children ages 7 to 9 and 49% of children ages 10 to 12 use social media apps. The findings, based on a survey of 1,030 parents, also showed that 35% of parents said their child was taught about the safe use of social media apps in school, and that these parents were more likely to report that their child uses these apps.
National Poll: 1/3 of children ages 7-9 use social media apps. (2018). https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/931448.
A study of US public libraries found that library capital investments increases children's attendance at library events 18%, their checkouts by 21%, and visits by 21%. It translated into improve test scores in nearby school districts. A $1000+ per-student capital investment in local public libraries increased reading test scores the .02 standard deviations (not significant for math scores.
Gilpin, G., Karger, E., & Nencka, F. (2021). The returns to public library investment. Federal Reserach Bank of Chicago.
https://www.edworkingpapers.com/sites/default/files/ai21-386.pdf
A recent meta-analysis found that children ages 1 to 8 were less likely to understand picture books if they read the ebook version instead of the print version, but only when the ebook didn't have effective enhancements. For the analysis, researchers examined more than 39 studies involving more than 1,800 children. Though generally print picture books outperformed their digital counterparts in terms of reader comprehension, if the ebooks contained enhancements that reinforced story content not only did the print advantage go away but students learned more. Adults’ mediation during print books’ reading was more effective than the enhancements in digital books read by children independently. However, with story-congruent enhancements, digital books outperformed paper books. An embedded dictionary had no or negative effect on children’s story comprehension but positively affected children’s vocabulary learning.
Furenes, M., Kucirkova, Review of Educational Research. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654321998074
The
coronavirus pandemic along with remote instruction are affecting students'
academic progress, as well as their overall well-being, according to a CDC
study. Of parents surveyed, 25% of those whose children are learning remotely
said their children's mental or emotional health had worsened -- compared with
16% of those whose children are learning in person.
Verlenden
JV, Pampati S, Rasberry CN, et al. Association of Children’s Mode of School
Instruction with Child and Parent Experiences and Well-Being During the
COVID-19 Pandemic — COVID Experiences Survey, United States, October 8–November
13, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021;70:369–376. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7011a1
Oral reading fluency
stalled for many second- and third-grade students last spring, according to a
study by researchers from the Stanford Graduate School of Education. found that students currently in second and
third grade are now approximately 30% behind what would be expected in a
typical year in reading fluency. Additionally, the study found that there
was an inequitable impact, with students in historically lower-achieving
districts — which often serve a greater share of low-income and minority
students — developing reading skills at a slower rate than those in higher-achieving
ones. The study adds that these are populations that were disproportionately
affected by the pandemic in ways that impinge on their readiness to learn,
including lack of access to computers, reliable internet access or a parent at
home.
Dominique, B., et al. (2021). Changing patterns
of growth in oral reading fluency during the COVID-10 pandemic. PACE.
