WORDS
Books bring new words
An Ohio State study found picture books average 228 words and use more complex words than everyday conversation.
Count the words
WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS
One more
story.
Books carry words that everyday talk rarely reaches.
A daily picture book adds up to hundreds of thousands of words before school. UK reading charities say the best way to share one is little and often, with plenty of talk about the pictures.
LITTLE and often
Count the words- Start from birth
- Talk about the pictures
- Read favourites again
- A few minutes a day adds up
THE SHORT ANSWER
Read together,
a little every day.
Shared books build vocabulary and talk.
How you read matters as much as how often.
TALK
Pause and chat
Education guidance describes shared reading as stopping to talk with the child: asking, answering, then adding a little more.
How to share a book
BEDTIME
Make it a habit
The National Literacy Trust's tips say little and often is best, such as a daily story at bedtime or bath time.
See the numbers
FOUR WAYS TO SHARE A BOOK
Less performance,
more conversation.
These come from the National Literacy Trust's tips and the Education Endowment Foundation's early years guidance. None of them needs a perfect reading voice.
Find a quiet spot
Switch off the TV or radio so your child can hear you without distractions.
Talk about the pictures
You do not always need to read the words. Chat about what you see, in your home language if it is not English.
Prompt, then add a little
Ask a question, respond to the answer, expand it with a new word or detail, then ask again so they can say the fuller version.
Read the favourite again
Repetition helps children understand and remember language, so the hundredth reading still counts.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Most families read,
not all start early.
One figure on what a daily book adds up to,
one on the families who are missing out.
296,660 words
Words heard from one book a day, by age 5
Ohio State researchers calculated this from the most-borrowed board books and picture books at a US library. A child never read to would hear 4,662.
BOOK WORDS · OHIO STATE
23%
Low-income families not sharing books before age one
BookTrust's 2022 survey of 2,148 caregivers in low-income households found this, even though 95 percent saw reading as important.
FIRST YEAR · BOOKTRUST
BookTrust found daily shared reading peaks between two and four years of age and then declines. Its parents' most common barriers were finding reading with their child not easy (28 percent), not feeling confident choosing books (21 percent) and lack of time (20 percent).
A QUICK WORD COUNT
How many book words
by age five?
Pick how often a child is read to. The figure is the number of words researchers calculated a child would hear from books alone by age five.
Calculated by Ohio State University researchers from popular board books and picture books. Everyday talk adds many more words; these are book words only.
FROM THE FIRST YEAR
Babies are
listening too.
BookTrust says sharing books, stories and rhymes from an early age supports children's development and can help bonding, and that its Bookstart scheme has given a free book pack to babies in their first year since 1992.
With babies, the National Literacy Trust suggests leaving time for a response. Babbling, arm waving or pointing all show interest, and there is no need to pressure a child to name things: name them yourself, and praise and repeat if they try.
Questions
Questions people ask
When should I start reading to my baby?
UK reading charities encourage sharing books, stories and rhymes from an early age. BookTrust's Bookstart scheme gives a free book pack to babies in their first year, and its survey found 77 percent of families start sharing books before the first birthday.
Do I have to read every word on the page?
No. The National Literacy Trust's tips say you do not always need to read the words: talking about the pictures counts, and you can use your own language if it is not English.
How long should a story time be?
There is no set length in the guidance. The National Literacy Trust says little and often is best, for example a daily story at bedtime or bath time.
Why do children want the same book again and again?
Repetition is useful. The National Literacy Trust says sharing favourite books again and again helps children understand and remember language.
Does reading aloud really make a difference later?
A Department for Education blog, citing the National Literacy Trust, says children read to regularly at age five did better in maths, vocabulary and spelling tests at 16 than those who were not. BookTrust says high achievers from disadvantaged backgrounds are twice as likely to have been read to early on.
Sources
- Ohio State News: A 'million word gap' for children who aren't read to at home
- BookTrust: Children's reading habits in the early years, family survey briefing (2023)
- BookTrust news: Almost a quarter of children from low-income families missing out on the benefits of reading in their first year
- The Education Hub (DfE): 10 top tips for sharing books with young children and toddlers
- Education Endowment Foundation: The importance of reading in early years education
Updated