Reading: the home and family context

Abstract

Reading is an activity enjoyed by many, and widely held to be an essential component for success in education. As such, educators and policymakers have been keen to promote an appreciation for, and engagement in, reading by children. Reflecting this, the National Year of Reading 2012 seeks in particular to support children learning to read, and to further stimulate and encourage children who are keen readers. Central to this are parents, and the family context more generally, who play an important role in helping children learn to read and in stimulating an interest in continued independent reading as children grow. Our key research question relates to the role of family context on children’s reading behavior controlling for child characteristics and socioeconomic background. We use the most recent data from Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC), including data collected directly from children about their engagement in and enjoyment of reading. The article finds that the family context, measured as visits to the library or reading to children early in their lives, strongly influences children’s later engagement in reading. It also finds that while the majority of children enjoy reading, only a minority are very frequent readers. Of particular concern, the data indicate that around one in ten children do not enjoy reading and did not read on a specified day, regardless of family context.