Parents are a Child’s First and Best Teacher

Learning to read the English language is a long and exciting journey that requires lots of practice and support. You are your child’s first and best teacher for helping them learn this new skill. Research shows that talking, singing, and reading books together builds early language skills that lead to future success. Books contain rich vocabulary and encourage deep conversations across a broad range of topics. Turning stories into conversations that spark curiosity, increase vocabulary, and build background knowledge will give your child a strong foundation for learning to read. Support and encouragement for learning to read is needed in early childhood and on into the school years. 

Research shows that shared book reading and the joint attention of parent and child that happens during a shared experience helps develop large vocabularies. (Farant & Zubrick, 2012) Joint attention begins at birth when parents make eye contact with their newborn. It progresses to looking at objects together, pointing, and following eye gaze. The next phase involves naming objects and then finding objects that are named. The language developed around these activities builds a verbal dictionary in your child’s brain that can be called upon when listening to stories being read aloud and later when reading and writing. Joint attention is important for language, communication, and vocabulary development. 

In this article, we’ll explain why parents are so important in the learning to read journey. We also include lots of practical strategies, you can begin using right away, to make the most out of shared reading with your child.  

Why Parents Matter for Learning to Read

You are your child’s first teacher and know them best. This makes it easier for you to help them learn because you know what works for them. Learning to read is a fun, collaborative effort that you and your child can work on together. 

You matter when it comes to learning to read because:

Reading Begins Long Before Kindergarten

The alphabet is an invented code that pairs letter sounds with shapes to make it possible to write down what we say. Babies hear speech before they are born, and naturally learn to speak through being immersed in language. Engaging in conversations with babies, even when the response is just a wiggle, coo, or giggle, lays the foundation for learning to speak. Learning to speak comes naturally but learning to read does not.

Reading Does Not Come Naturally 

Learning to read does not come naturally. To read, your child has to learn the invented code that matches letter shapes and sounds. English is especially challenging because there are 26 letters that work alone or together to make approximately 44 unique sounds. Introducing letter sounds and shapes through stories, songs, and other playful experiences exposes your child to the alphabetic code which will be needed for learning to read. 

English is a Deep Orthography

English is called a deep orthography because the letter shapes and sounds have multiple pronunciations and relationships. This makes reading and spelling more challenging to learn than languages such as Finnish which has an almost one to one correspondence between letter shapes and sounds. 

English also includes lots of words borrowed from other languages such as German, Latin, French, and Greek. This makes it more challenging to read and spell words because letters often represent several sounds depending on the language they came from. For example: The letter y sounds like /y/ in yet. It can also take the place of a vowel such as /ē/ in baby, /ĭ/ in gym, and /ī/ in my. The letters ch can sound like /ch/ chair, much; /sh/ chef, machine; /k/ chaos, stomach; or be silent as in yacht. 

These variations make reading and spelling more challenging. The good news is that many words follow predictable or regular spelling patterns. Once your child knows the code, they will be able to use it to map regular and irregular words into their mental dictionaries. Eventually, they will begin to teach themselves new words, filling their memories with 20,000 to 50,000 or more words that an average adult can instantly recognize. 

Research shows that children who have reading difficulties struggle throughout school and are less likely to graduate from high school or enroll in post secondary school. They are also at higher risk for behavior impulse control and social-emotional challenges such as anxiety and depression.  The exciting news is that the outcomes are much more positive when parents learn how to support their child’s reading journey with shared reading sessions 3-5 times per week for 10-20 minutes. (Dahl et al., 2025)

How Parents Can Help

Your child’s brain develops rapidly in the first five years of life. This period is critical for language development. A wide variety of experiences and conversations builds your child’s background knowledge which they can draw on when trying to read words they haven’t seen before. Research shows that early experiences with language shapes future reading and academic success. (McNally et. al., 2025) When these early experiences are positive, they build confidence and spark curiosity that supports a life long love of learning. 

Read Together Every Day

Shared reading time is a social experience that creates strong family bonds and supports social emotional growth. Books contain thousands of words that are not used in everyday conversations. They are full of information and experiences that expand knowledge and take you to far away places, both real and imaginary. Books spark curiosity and imaginations.

Research shows that if you read just one picture book a day your child will hear over 78,000 words in a year. This simple act adds up to over 1.4 million more words in five years than children would hear if stories were not read to them. (Logan et. al., 2019)

Share Thoughts and Ideas While Reading

Sitting down for a few minutes and reading a book together is good, but the real benefit comes from the shared conversations about the thoughts, ideas, characters, and images created through the book. When you read together, talk about the story, discuss interesting words, and expand on the pictures on the page or those created in your mind. 

1. Ask your child questions that go beyond simple yes or no answers 
2. Encourage your child to add to their responses by saying “Tell me more.” or “Where did you come up with that idea?” or “Why do you think … ?“ 
3. Make connections between the book and experiences they have had
4. Tell stories about your own childhood that relate to the book
5. Use lots of expression in your voice when reading aloud
6. Review what you previously read and talk about the series and sequence of events as the story unfolds

Research shows that wait time is really important when asking questions or having conversations about a book. (Hadley & Newman, 2020) Your child might need extra time to process what you are asking or connect it to ideas in the story. Pausing for 5-10 seconds and patiently waiting gives them space to think and organize their answers. Rephrasing the question can also be helpful.  

Teach Letter Sounds and Shapes

Letters are everywhere which creates the perfect opportunity to help your child learn about them. 

1. Look for letters in books, around the house, while driving, at appointments, the playground, in stores, or other spaces you visit 
2. Encourage your child to be a letter detective by looking for letters in their name or names of family members
3. Play with sounds by stretching out words so your child can hear the individual sounds. For example: “Put on your /s/ /ŏ/ /k/ /s/ (socks).” “Which car is /r/ /ĕ/ /d/? (red)” “Do you want /p/ /ă/ /s/ /t/ /ŭ/ for lunch? (pasta)” 
4. Point to letters and ask your child what sound they say.

Grab your Alphabites Card Pack today! It has 26 games, helpful hints, and a digital Quick Start Guide that make learning letter sounds and shapes a joyful experience.  

Keep the Learning Playful and Fun

One of the most important things to remember about learning is that it should be an enjoyable, natural part of everyday life. You want to spark joy and curiosity by keeping it playful and fun. Encourage your child to put effort into their learning but keep it light and stress free through focusing on practice over perfection. 

Reading is about getting meaning from the text. It isn’t always necessary to correct reading errors. If the mistake did not change the meaning of what is being read, ignoring the error keeps the reading flowing smoothly. If the meaning is changed by the error, pausing to reread is important.

Build Positive Relationships with Caregivers and Teachers

When your child is in the care of other adults, it’s important to communicate to them about your child and to learn about your child through their insights. Ask questions and share information, using a “we are all in this together in the best interests of my child” mindset. 

Our Kindergarten Readiness Guide shows you what to expect and how to support your 4, 5, or 6 year old child as they take this exciting step in their learning journey. Grab our Teacher-created guide and the practice FREEBIES today! 

You are your child’s first and best teacher. Because you are so close to them and care so much about them, it can be harder to see things that others might notice. Sharing the responsibility for teaching your child, with family, friends, caregivers, and teachers lightens your load and gives your child the support they need to become a capable, confident reader.

Make Books Easily Accessible

1. Keep books in various locations throughout the house and in a travel bag so you can read while on the go. 
2. Store books with toys so they have the same perceived value as other play things.
3. Encourage your child to explore books on their own.
4. Show your child what they get excited about matters by finding books about their interests and passions
5. Borrow books from the library, exchange with friends, make others aware that books make great gifts, and check if your neighborhood has a little free library. 

Research shows that early shared reading at age 3 leads to more books being read by age 5 and more time spent reading for pleasure at age 7. Two important factors that support this progression are access to lots of books and early shared reading with parents. (McNally, et. al., 2024)

The Impact Parents Have

When you partner with your child in their reading journey, you are helping them become an independent learner. Your support will give them a broad vocabulary and strong comprehension skills that make it easier for them to succeed in school and in life. The encouragement you provide along the way helps your child build confidence and a positive attitude toward learning, even when it gets hard. Stronger language and pre-reading skills will make learning so much easier when they begin formal schooling. Shared reading builds strong family bonds through rich conversations around a common experience. You are your child’s first and best teacher. Your role in helping them learn to speak, read, and write the complex English language is just what they need to become a confident, capable learner. 

Sources

Dahl-Leonard, K., Hall, C., Cho, E., Capin, P., Roberts, G. J., Kehoe, K. F., ... & Demchak, A. (2025). Examining the Effects of Family-Implemented Literacy Interventions for School-Aged Children: A Meta-Analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 37(1), 10. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10648-025-09985-3.pdf 

Dowdall, N., Melendez-Torres, G. J., Murray, L., Gardner, F., Hartford, L., & Cooper, P. J. (2020). Shared picture book reading interventions for child language development: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Child development, 91(2), e383-e399. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13225

Dweck, C. S., & Yeager, D. S. (2019). Mindsets: A view from two eras. Perspectives on Psychological science, 14(3), 481-496. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6594552/pdf/nihms-1024986.pdf 

Ece Demir‐Lira, Ö., Applebaum, L. R., Goldin‐Meadow, S., & Levine, S. C. (2019). Parents’ early book reading to children: Relation to children's later language and literacy outcomes controlling for other parent language input. Developmental science, 22(3), e12764. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6927670/pdf/nihms-1058654.pdf 

Farrant, B. M., & Zubrick, S. R. (2012). Early vocabulary development: The importance of joint attention and parent-child book reading. First Language, 32(3), 343-364. Link

Hadley, Elizabeth & Newman, Katherine & Mock, Jinsil. (2020). Setting the Stage for TALK: Strategies for Encouraging Language‐Building Conversations. The Reading Teacher. 74. 10.1002/trtr.1900. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339208783_Setting_the_Stage_for_TALK_Strategies_for_Encouraging_Language-Building_Conversations 

Lepola, J., Kajamies, A., Laakkonen, E., & Collins, M. F. (2023). Opportunities to talk matter in shared reading: The mediating roles of children’s engagement and verbal participation in narrative listening comprehension. Early Education and Development, 34(8), 1896-1918. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10409289.2023.2188865 

Logan, J. A., Justice, L. M., Yumuş, M., & Chaparro-Moreno, L. J. (2019). When children are not read to at home: The million word gap. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 40(5), 383-386. https://crane.osu.edu/files/2020/01/When_Children_Are_Not_Read_to_at_Home__The_Million.9.pdf 

McNally, S., Leech, K. A., Corriveau, K. H., & Daly, M. (2024). Indirect effects of early shared reading and access to books on reading vocabulary in middle childhood. Scientific Studies of Reading, 28(1), 42-59. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10888438.2023.2220846

Resnick, L. B., Asterhan, C. S., Clarke, S. N., & Schantz, F. (2018). Next generation research in dialogic learning. The Wiley handbook of teaching and learning, 323-338. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781118955901.ch13  

Silinskas, G., Sénéchal, M., Torppa, M., & Lerkkanen, M. K. (2020). Home literacy activities and children’s reading skills, independent reading, and interest in literacy activities from kindergarten to grade 2. Frontiers in psychology, 11, 1508. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01508/full