As with most educational debates, there is no straight forward answer which encompasses the needs of all young children, and we have already established that there is much more at stake than children’s individual ability to read, either unaided or with assistance. Whilst children’s skills such as memory, language and communication will of course still develop if and when a parent stops reading to them, as they will continue to be improved by activities at school, parents who stop too early are missing obvious and regular opportunities to significantly support their child in such a key educational area.

At what age is it right to stop reading to a child?

Research has shown that although children typically learn to read independently somewhere between the ages of 6 and 8, their comprehension levels remain far higher for several years when listening to books than when reading on their own, as their limited skill for sounding out words at this stage impacts upon their understanding.

Other influencing factors include children’s concentration levels and attention span, both of which are far greater when enhanced by interaction with a parent at young ages, stimulated by the parent through personal contact, intonation and emphasis of certain book detail, and actual discussion around the characters and story.

As such, it is suggested that the answer to this question should not be based on the age at which the child can read independently, but instead should relate to the age at which the parent still feels some or all of the above outcomes are still being achieved by reading with their child.

Another to look at it would be to ask at what age your child stops enjoying reading together with a parent. In reality, I suspect this would be long after the age at which children are capable of reading unsupported.

If that is the case, why stop?

What if your child doesn’t want to read together?

The vast majority of children will continue to respond positively to reading with a parent well into their teens, enjoying amongst other things the prolonged, uninterrupted contact and one to one attention, which they might otherwise not experience to the same extent. It would therefore be unusual for a child to suddenly reject the joint reading activity, which in itself could be an indicator of other issues or distractions for the child.

From experience and discussions with many parents, it is rarely the case that ending the activity of reading together is the result of a conscious and deliberate decision by either parent or child, or a sudden lack of willingness by either party to engage in the activity. Much more commonly, reading together ends as a result of a gradual change of habit, routine and interactions within the household. With busy lives, most parents experience the challenge of juggling with the day to day priorities of work, home and parenthood, and find it increasingly difficult to find the time for all the activities they would like to undertake. It follows naturally that as a parent perceives that their child is more able and confident with their reading, and is therefore no longer dependent on their parent’s involvement, that it becomes easier to allow this activity to become less of a priority.

Whether this is a conscious or subconscious shift in priorities by a parent, it is not without impact or influence upon the child. Even if the child is both capable of reading books independently and enjoys the process, the change in activity and reduced interaction with their parent will communicate a message regarding the parent’s perceived importance placed upon reading. As such, unless the child is particularly keen to read, the danger is that the reduced involvement from the parent leads to the child being less stimulated by the activity and to gain less enjoyment.

Is it any surprise then that when a parent suggests reading together after a prolonged period of no longer doing so that the child is less enthusiastic than had previously been the case?

What do you think?