---
"title": "Half of Parents with Young Children Read to Them Every Day"
"description": "Half of all parents with children under 12 say they read to their child every day."
"date": "2013-05-07"
"authors":
  -
    "name": "Drew DeSilver"
    "job_title": "Senior Writer/Editor"
    "link": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/staff/drew-desilver/"
"url": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/short-reads/2013/05/07/half-of-parents-with-young-children-read-to-them-every-day/"
---

# Half of Parents with Young Children Read to Them Every Day

Studies over the years (such as [this one](http://www.aecf.org/~/media/Pubs/Initiatives/KIDS%20COUNT/123/2010KCSpecReport/AEC_report_color_highres.pdf)) have shown repeatedly that children whose parents read to them have larger vocabularies than children who aren’t regularly exposed to the written word. That message seems to be getting through: A new study from the Pew Research Center’s [Internet & American Life Project](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/internet) found that half of all parents with children under 12 say they read to them every day; another 26 percent say they read to their child a few times a week.

[![Reading-frequency-to-kids](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2013/05/Reading-frequency-to-kids.jpg){.alignright width=280}](http://libraries.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/internet/2013/05/01/part-3-parents-and-reading-to-children/)

As one might expect, parents are more likely to read to children 5 and younger than to older kids — most of whom, presumably, can read on their own. Mothers are more likely than fathers to read to their child every day (55% vs. 45%) as are parents under 40 (55% vs. 43%), those with incomes over $50,000 (60% vs. 42%) and those with at least some college education (59% vs. 36%).

Interestingly, parents who have both young children and teenagers are less likely to read to their young children every day than parents who only have children under 12 (29% vs. 60%). [Read more](http://libraries.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/internet/2013/05/01/part-3-parents-and-reading-to-children/)