🌅 Bedtime Stories Boosts Kids’ Creativity and Empathy

SOURCE

Scholastic

WHAT TO KNOW

• Children's publishing giant Scholastic’s latest Kids & Family Reading Report found 51% of U.S. preschoolers (age 0-5) are read aloud to at home at least five days per week, however, that figure falls to 37% among children age 6-8 and just 16% among kids age 9-11. The decline in reading aloud together as kids get older is particularly disappointing as the report also found 92% of parents and 80% of children agree that reading aloud is a special time together. A 2017 report from Scholastic found 62% of kids ages 3-5 were read aloud to at least five days per week, suggesting there’s an ongoing broader decline in kids and parents reading aloud together.

WHY IT MATTERS

• Reading aloud to children is a proven way to boost their enjoyment of reading and likelihood of choosing to read independently, which is key, as the Scholastic report also found children who are frequent readers have better mental health than infrequent readers. Other research suggests establishing a daily reading ritual, like reading aloud a bedtime story each night, boosts children’s empathy and creativity.

CONNECT THE DOTS

• The decline in reading aloud to children as they get older is well-documented, however, it’s not entirely clear what’s driving the trend. The Scholastic report found just 54% of parents report receiving advice about the importance of reading aloud to their children, suggesting awareness is an issue. A 2025 survey of U.K. parents by book publisher Harper Collins suggests it’s something worse, finding fewer than half (40%) say reading aloud to their child is “fun for me.” Other experts also point to the rise in screen time as an impediment.