Preschool Reading Habits Still Lag Pre-Pandemic
Parents of preschoolers should consider rebuilding daily reading routines, since frequent reading has not returned to 2019 levels.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Child Care
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Do you read to your preschool-age child at least three times a week?
A national study from the National Institute for Early Education Research found that parents reading to preschool-age children has declined since the COVID-19 pandemic and has not recovered. Frequent reading held at or below 75% from fall 2020 through 2025, and the most recent data shows 69% of parents reading frequently to their children.
Why it matters
For families with preschoolers, reading time is one of the simplest and least expensive ways to support early learning, and the study links frequent reading to higher parent education, higher household income, enrollment in early learning programs, and lower screen time. The pandemic disrupted routines, library access, preschool enrollment, and parent work schedules, and the gap has persisted into 2025.
Preschool-age children read to three or more times weekly fell from about 85% in 2019 to 69% in the most recent data. Only one-third of parents say they are very satisfied with how much they read to their children.
The players
National Institute for Early Education Research
A research center focused on early childhood education policy and evidence, which conducted the national parent survey analysis.
Rutgers University
A public research university in New Jersey whose researcher Steven Barnett co-authored the study.
The details
The study was run by the National Institute for Early Education Research and analyzed five years of survey data from American parents. When researchers compared racial groups, they adjusted for household income, daily activities, and books in the home, and the gap between Black and white households disappeared after those adjustments. Black and Hispanic parents initially reported less frequent reading than non-Hispanic white households, but the difference tracked closely with income and home resources rather than race alone.
Timeline
2019: About 85% of preschool-age children were read to at least three times a week.
Fall 2020 to 2025: The share of children read to frequently stayed at or below 75%.
Post-pandemic: Reading frequency dropped significantly and has not recovered.
The Home Front
The finding sits against the broader pattern of pandemic-era disruption to early childhood routines documented in national surveys of American households. It suggests that home learning habits, not only classroom enrollment, were affected and have not returned to the 2019 baseline.
Families with preschool-age children can set a consistent daily reading time, even ten minutes, and use library visits or shared books to build the habit. Consider limiting screen time during the reading window, since the study links heavier screen use to less frequent reading.
The takeaway
Reading to a child is a low-cost habit with measurable links to early learning, and the study suggests families who rebuild a daily routine may see the benefit most. Keep a rotating set of picture books at home and a library card on hand to make the routine easier to sustain.
Further reading
Explore more on Child Care for ways families are rebuilding early learning routines at home.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Opelika-Auburn News.
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Do you read to your preschool-age child at least three times a week?
