For more than two decades, Read Aloud America helped families discover the simple yet powerful joy of reading aloud. The Read Aloud Program (RAP) began operating in Hawaiʻi in 1999, reaching more than 350,000 adults and children and inspiring them to read more and rely on devices less. Along the way, many parents asked us many questions. “How do I get my kid to read more?” “How can we reduce screen time?” “Why won’t my 5th grader read chapter books?” These common questions about raising readers are important, so we’ve compiled them all here – with their answers! 

But first, some background…

Meet Our Experts

We asked three of Read Aloud America’s leaders to share their perspectives the most common questions about raising readers they heard over the years. Before we get to those answers, meet our experts here. 

Our experts bring varying experiences as parents, educators, and community leaders and volunteers. But their message to parents is consistent: don’t make reading another source of pressure. Raising a reader should start with connection. It’s that simple. Here’s how…

How often should I read aloud to my child?

Reading aloud to your child fifteen minutes per day can make a meaningful difference. Joanne encourages families to remember that sometimes family life doesn’t always cooperate with a perfect schedule. It’s okay to give yourself grace if you read aloud for 15 minutes five nights a week instead of seven. 

What matters most is establishing a rhythm that works for your family. Reading aloud can become part of bedtime, a quiet moment after dinner or simply something you do together when the opportunity presents itself, like waiting in the waiting room at the doctors or dentist offices, or passing the time while you wait for another child to finish a soccer practice or swim lesson. 

The goal isn’t to check reading off a parenting to-do list. It’s to create a moment when your child has your attention and a story has theirs.

My child just started Kindergarten and can’t read yet. Are they behind?

Parents can understandably worry when their child’s reading development doesn’t seem to match what they see in other children. But Kindergarten is not a race, and a child who isn’t reading independently yet isn’t necessarily cause for alarm.

Jed has heard this concern many times through the Read Aloud Program. His advice is reassuring: “Many children aren’t reading when entering Kindergarten.” When children have been read to regularly, they are already developing vocabulary and becoming familiar with the language and experience of books. As Jed puts it, “They will be reading when it comes naturally.”

The most important thing that parents can do to support their Kindergartner’s progress and reading is reading aloud regularly. Reading aloud teaches early literacy skills, such as print concepts, vocabulary growth, and sound recognition. The simple act of reading aloud to your Kindergartener will build skills that will enable them to become strong readers throughout the year – and beyond! 

Rather than turning Kindergarten readiness into a source of anxiety, give your Kindergartener opportunities to hear rich language, enjoy stories and develop a positive association with books. And don’t feel that every reading session needs to become a lesson. Jed encourages parents to “just ENJOY the time.” 

How can I improve my child’s reading comprehension?

You don’t need to turn story time into a pop quiz. In fact, one of the most important things parents can do is simply give children the opportunity to hear language and encounter new words in context.

Larry distinguishes the role of the parent from that of the classroom teacher. Parents don’t need to utilize their own read aloud time with their kids as an assessment for reading comprehension. 

Assessing reading comprehension “is the role of the child’s teacher,” Larry says, explaining that the parent’s role can be much simpler: provide exposure to vocabulary, stories and the pleasure of language.

So instead of interrupting a story to ask your child what a character did or what they think will happen next, consider following their lead. If they ask a question, talk about it. If something makes them laugh, laugh with them. If they want to keep listening, keep reading.

Sometimes the best support for comprehension is giving a child enough enjoyable experiences with books that they naturally want to understand more.

How do I reduce screen time and encourage more reading?

Taking away a screen is only part of the equation. The bigger question is what happens in its place.

Joanne describes this approach as “Replace, Don’t Just Remove.” Rather than making screen restrictions feel like punishment, families can establish shared periods when everyone puts technology aside, and uses the time to read. Replacing screen-based activities with something intentional like reading is especially important because, as Joanne observed during her years working in schools, technology has become so ubiquitous in education, that establishing habits of balance will make a more meaningful impact than complete elimination. 

Jed similarly emphasizes the importance of clear, consistent family rules, explaining that these also motivate parents to role model reading, which is a critical component of the 3 Rings to Reading. “It is MOST IMPORTANT that the parents role model and follow the same rules,” he said. “That way it’s a family happening.”

He recommends keeping screens out of bedrooms and making a central charging station in a main area, where devices can stay while they’re not in use or overnight. Making screen-free time a family practice creates opportunities for conversation around the dinner table and reading together afterward.

“Imagine the LOVE and bonding at the dinner table with everyone sharing a little of their day,” he said. “After dinner and clean up then some reading aloud before bed.  This will bring the family together!”

The goal isn’t to declare war on technology. It is to make sure technology doesn’t crowd out something children also need: time with the people they love.

When should I stop reading aloud to my child?

There isn’t a particular birthday when children outgrow read-aloud time.

If your child still enjoys having you read to them, keep reading. Even when children become capable independent readers, listening to a parent can offer something that independent reading cannot: closeness, conversation and shared time.

Larry has seen that reading aloud can remain meaningful well beyond the years parents might expect. “Time together while reading aloud often will last longer than you expect,” he said.

As children grow, the experience can change. You might read longer chapter books together, alternate pages or discover a series that becomes a shared family favorite. The point is not to stop when your child learns to read. It’s to keep the connection alive for as long as they want it.

What if my child wants to read the same book over and over?

Let them.

For a parent, the tenth reading of the same story can feel repetitive or tiresome. But for a child, it can be comforting, exciting and satisfying. It’s a signal that they LOVE the book! Insisting on reading something different could extinguish that fire. 

Joanne says that reading a book over and over again is “perfectly fine! Always let your child use the read aloud book.”

That choice matters. Children who are allowed to follow their interests are more likely to experience reading as something that belongs to them. A favorite book today can also become a bridge to a new book tomorrow.

So if your child wants the same story again, don’t worry that you’re limiting them and replace your own mild annoyance with an appreciation for your child’s enthusiasm. After all, you’re giving them something they love (a great story and time with you!) and reinforcing the idea that books are worth coming back to.

I work full-time and I don’t feel like I ever have enough time or energy to read to my children. What can I do?

Many parents are trying to fit reading into already packed days. Work, meals, homework, activities and bedtime can leave very little energy at the end of the evening. If that sounds familiar, you’re not failing.

Take Larry’s advice. Make reading part of a routine that already exists. Sitting on your child’s bed before sleep and sharing a book can turn reading into a natural part of the bedtime ritual rather than another activity you have to find time for. Read aloud a short story at the dinner table – you could even read a comic book!

Also, think of the mantra “Replace, Don’t Just Remove.” What screen-based activities can you replace with one story? It doesn’t have to be elaborate. It doesn’t have to happen for an hour. Just fifteen minutes each day can become a meaningful tradition.

My child doesn’t like reading. What should I do?

Start by taking the pressure off.

A child who says they don’t like reading may not yet have found the right book, format, subject or experience. That doesn’t mean they won’t become a reader.

Joanne’s advice is to simply keep reading aloud. Let your child hear “the power of your voice” and experience stories without being expected to prove what they learned.

Parents aren’t required to become teachers during family reading time. Your job is to create an inviting environment, offer choices and make books part of family life. Sometimes a child who resists reading independently will happily listen when a parent reads to them.

Does it make a difference if my child reads an e-book or listens to an audio book instead of reading a printed book?

Digital books can certainly provide access to stories, but both Joanne and Jed explain why printed books are so special, and why they make a difference for young children.

Joanne recommends printed books for preschool children because sharing a physical book creates a richer experience between parent and child. The illustrations can capture a child’s attention, while sitting together with a book provides an opportunity for eye contact, conversation and the simple pleasure of being close.

Jed describes the appeal of a printed book in more sensory terms: “There isn’t anything like the touch, feel, smell and the holding of a printed book.” He also points to another benefit—building a personal library and collecting favorite books or series.

The point isn’t that, while digital book formats might be a great option for grown adults who can shift back and forth between digital and print formats, they inherently lack critical components that are essential for young, growing readers. The most important component? The time they spend with you.

Raise Your Reader

We bet that there are even more of your common questions about raising readers out there. If we left those questions unanswered, we invite you to explore our Family Reading Handbook, where you can learn more and grow. Ultimately, raising a reader is less about doing everything perfectly and more about making books a regular part of family life. Read aloud, follow your child’s interests, make room for connection, and take the pressure off. Whether it’s fifteen minutes at bedtime, a favorite book read again and again, or comic books at dinner time, those small moments can help children discover that reading is something to enjoy and something to share.