Parents Are Building A Nation Of Young Readers.

According to a national survey released by Target, more than three in four parents with children under eight (78%) read to their children every day for at least 20 minutes, many keeping their kids engaged by acting out characters or singing passages. Overall, 97% of parents with young children read to them, and 93% do so at least two or three nights a week, the survey found.

The survey, commissioned by Target, whose national reading campaign, Ready. Sit. Read!, is aimed at fostering a love of reading among children and families, found that parents read with their children 4.7 nights per week, 29 minutes per night, on average. Ten percent read an hour or more, 27% read 30-40 minutes, and 42% read 20-30 minutes. They read two books a day on average.

The survey also found parents have adopted creative ways to immerse kids in reading. Eighty-one percent bring reading alive by reading in “funny voices,” 39% of parents act out the book, 35% take turns turning the pages, and 19% sing the book.

“Parents certainly have gotten the message that they play a pivotal role in helping children develop a lifelong love for reading,” stated Laysha Ward, vice president, community relations, Target. “The good news is that moms and dads are turning reading time into quality time with their children, while giving them a leg up on learning and higher reading achievement. The not-so-good news is that reading still faces stiff competition from other alternatives.”

Despite the emphasis on books, reading still places a distant second to TV-watching as the preferred way to spend leisure time among children. More than half (53%) switch on the tube if given a choice, while just under a third (31%) would grab a book, 11% play video games and 5% spend time online. Even so, all parents surveyed said reading with their child is important, and 96% said they themselves are the most important influence in helping their children learn to read.

Dads keep up their share of reading time with the kids. Ninety-five percent of dads say they are reading with their children, with a third reporting that they make time for reading everyday. Almost one in two men admits to make reading fun they “act out the characters” (46%).

What will be read is a shared decision. Three-quarters of parents (76%) either choose or recommend a book title for reading time, and nearly as many children (69%) get to select the book title to be read. Parents’ own childhood favorites are often on reading lists. Nearly two-thirds of parents (60%) select books they were fond of as a child. The classics most often cited by respondents are Dr. Seuss books.